Celtics Predicted to Greatly Disappoint in 2025-26 Season

The Boston Celtics are predicted to greatly disappoint fans after a summer full of change.

Although, if we're being honest, how good to fans really expect Boston to be?

The Celtics lost five-time All-NBA power forward Jayson Tatum during the second round of the playoffs this past spring, when the 6-foot-8 Duke product tore his Achilles tendon.

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Tatum could miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season recovering from the ailment, although he seems to be unusually proactive in pushing for an earlier comeback.

Still, the Celtics he returns to will look quite different from the club that went 64-18 in 2023-24 and won a title, and posted a 61-21 record (the top players were the same) this past season but came up short without a healthy Tatum.

Boston traded away six-time All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday and one-time All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis, netting back guard Anfernee Simons (in the Holiday deal) and two-way player RJ Luis Jr. (after flipping its return haul from the Porzingis trade in a subsequent move). The Celtics also saw free agent big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet both leave for Western Conference hopefuls.

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report predicts that the new-look Celtics will finish with a middling 37-45 record in 2025-26, in part because of the club's personnel — and in part because he believes Boston could consider a pivot towards a full tank.

"While Boston still has title-tested talent in Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and a handful of others, it's very clear 2025-26 will be a gap year," Hughes submits.

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The Celtics intend to replace the departure of all three of its rotation centers with some combination of free agent signings Chris Boucher and Luka Garza, plus fourth-string big man Neemias Queta.

The 6-foot-9 Boucher, who connected on 36.3 percent of his 3.9 triple tries a night while with the Toronto Raptors last season, could theoretically also be slotted in as a temporary Tatum replacement as the team's starting power forward.

Celtics' Personnel Changes Could Lead to Way More Losses

Beyond the downgrades at the center spot, Hughes also believes that four-time All-Star wing Jaylen Brown may not quite be able to bridge the offensive gap left by Tatum as the Celtics' No. 1 option.

Ultimately, Hughes teases that Boston might look to pack things up early and set its sights on a lottery appearance next summer, pulling the plug on what the team may think will be a lost season.

"In the end, 37 victories might be too generous. If the Celtics are serious about winning every night, that's a reachable number. But Boston owns its 2026 first-rounder and could easily pivot into a tank if Brown misses time."

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