The Boston Celtics are living proof that nothing is guaranteed in the NBA.

Just a year ago, the Celtics had just won the 2024 NBA championship and were threatening to kickstart a dynasty behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Today, they find themselves in some sort of limbo. They fell to the New York Knicks in humiliating fashion in the second round of this past postseason and to make matters worse, Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon towards the end of that series.

With Tatum expected to miss the better part of the ‘25-’26 season, Boston will enter the new campaign not as the perennial contender they’ve grown accustomed to being, but as a middle-of-the-pack playoff team–at best–in an improving Eastern Conference.

General manager Brad Stevens took advantage of this situation to overhaul the Celtics’ roster, beginning with two separate trades that shipped out two key pieces of their title run, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. The deals make perfect sense, with the 35-year-old Holiday already in the twilight of his successful career, while Porzingis’ frequent injuries and illnesses have made him too unreliable to depend on.

Stevens took a calculated gamble with what he received in return, and given the team’s current circumstances, it makes perfect sense. He received 26-year-old Anfernee Simons and two second round picks from the Portland Trail Blazers for Holiday, giving Boston volume-shooting guard who would be happy to take over some of the shot attempts that would have been Tatum’s. 

In terms of play style, the shoot-first Simons is the complete opposite of the defensive-minded Holiday. However, a year under head coach Joe Mazzulla could be enough to help him develop into a decent enough defender who can help the Celtics to contend once again when Tatum eventually returns.

Meanwhile, Stevens sent out Porzingis in a three-team trade that netted Boston veteran Georges Niang and a second round pick. The 6’7 Niang is far from a flashy name, but he has carved out a nine-year career as a physical back-up forward who can hit three-point shots (39.9% on his career) at a reliable rate. He is the type of player who is conducive for winning and is going to have his fair share of opportunities in the coming season without Tatum.

Most importantly, these two deals helped the Celtics shed salary and put them below the second apron, providing them with some much-needed flexibility moving forward. The road ahead is going to be challenging for Boston. But if Stevens and Mazzulla can maximize this upcoming Tatum-less season for player development, it should only be a matter of time before the Celtics are contending for championships again.