Celtics' Joe Mazzulla Reacts to Expected Changes This Summer

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated he hasn't paid any mind to the changes his team would inevitably make during the offseason.

“I haven’t really thought one second of that,” Mazzulla said. “More just focused on the guys in that locker room right now and grateful for the effort, and what they put through on that, and that’s really all that matters.”

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The Celtics fell in the second round of the NBA playoffs to the New York Knicks in six games in a series that saw six-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum rupture his right Achilles Tendon. The Celtics fell behind 3-1 in the game which Tatum exited early, and despite a Game 5 victory, were unable to keep up with the Knicks without their superstar.

If their roster stays the same, the Celtics will have the most expensive roster in the NBA, and will need to cough up a total of $500 million to cover their salary cap and luxury tax. The two names the Celtics should be looking to move in order to alleviate their expenditures are Jrue Holliday and Kristaps Porzingis.

Holiday will make $32.4 million in the 2025-26 season, which is 20.95 percent of the league's cap. He's averaging 11.8 points as a Celtic, his lowest average for any team across a 16-season NBA career; however, his status as a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate should draw attention from several teams.

As for Porzingis, the Latvian will make $30.7 million next season. He has had a poor track record with injuries since landing in Boston, missing 65 games over the last two seasons. Porzingis grabbed the fewest rebounds per game in 2024-25 than he had since his final season with the Knicks in 2017-18, and his points per game dropped to levels he hadn't touched since 2021-22 with the Dallas Mavericks.

With the additional cap space Boston will get from moving some of their more expensive players, they will be able to focus on building an affordable supporting cast for their core, as well as re-sign free agent centers Luke Kornet and Al Horford, who the Celtics performed much better with than Porzingis.

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Whatever the changes may be, shooting guard Jaylen Brown told The Athletic he's excited for what's in store for his team.

“I’m looking forward to coming back stronger, so you just take this with your chin up,” Brown added. “I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now, obviously with JT being out and us kind of ending the year, but it’s a lot to look forward to. I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end, so I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

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