Celtics Confident Team Can Contend For Title Next Year Without Jayson Tatum

Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum's achilles injury in the first round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks raised a lot of question marks for the Celtics' 2025-26 season.

Tatum is expected to miss 10-12 months and likely will miss a good portion of next season, if not all of it. Regardless of whether or not the Celtics have their All-NBA forward, though, they have remained confident that they will contend.

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“We still have a really, really great opportunity and a great window to be successful and win the championship again,” Boston Celtics All-Star guard Jrue Holiday said. “I think the talent that we have in this team, not only on the court, but the coaching staff, all the way up to Brad [Stevens], has been amazing. The opportunity to win is now, and I still want to be part of it.”

2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard echoed Holiday, declaring his faith in their team to churn out results.

“We will put a good team together — a lot of competitors, and people will go out there and lay it all on the line every night,” Pritchard said. “And I believe people will elevate their games and have bigger roles, especially with JT being out [and] until he comes back, and they should take full advantage of it and be ready for those opportunities. And we will compete.”

The Celtics performed well in the regular season without Tatum, posting an 8-2 record and averaging 112.8 points in his absence. In Tatum's absence, attention will likely turn towards Jaylen Brown to serve as the C's first option. In the first game without Tatum against the Knicks, the Celtics had the largest margin of victory (25) in the whole series, and Brown put up an impressive 26/8/12 line.

“Even without JT, this team could still compete for a championship,” Veteran wing Torrey Craig said. “They’re talented. You just have to find a way to play basketball a little differently. But this group is way more capable. I have the utmost confidence.”

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To keep that capable team together, though, the Celtics will have to jump through some financial hoops. Their $500 million combination of payroll and luxury tax would set an NBA record, and with desirable veterans Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Craig all entering free agency this offseason, they will need to make changes to their roster.

Whether or not the roster is built to contend depends on if management trusts their team as much as their players do.

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