Celtics' future changed overnight

On Monday, Jayson Tatum suffered a non-contact leg injury in the fourth quarter of the Boston Celtics' loss to the New York Knicks. While there has been no report on what type of injury he suffered, the common consensus is that he suffered an Achilles tear.

Achilles injuries have a 12-18-month recovery period. Tatum would effectively miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season and potentially some of the season after that. 

Considering how costly Boston's current roster is, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is unlikely to stand pat. Without Tatum in the rotation, the Celtics can't be considered contenders. As such, some tough decisions will likely need to be made.

The futures of Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Sam Hauser will all be primary topics of conversation this summer. After all, Boston is under new ownership and has one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA. It's logical to expect some cost-cutting measures.

In just one night, the Celtics went from being on the brink of a dynasty to potentially staring down the barrel of a retooling process. Unfortunately, this is the nature of the NBA. Championship windows can slam shut in a moment, and with them, changes can sweep through a roster. 

Tatum will fight to return at or near the same level he was before his injury. Following a similar blueprint to how Kevin Durant recovered from the same injury would be a wise choice. Nevertheless, Tatum won't be coming back to the same team. 

Things are going to change in Boston, and that's not something any of us expected coming into the postseason.