Celtics Take Shocking Nosedive in Latest NBA Power Rankings

After a series of trades over the NBA offseason, the Boston Celtics dropped several spots in the latest power rankings from CBS Sports.

The Celtics made several moves over the offseason, trading away several key veterans from the roster for salary cap relief.

Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were moved for lower salary contracts, while Luke Kornet left the team via free agency. Al Horford appears to be next.

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Some talent has joined the team like guard Anfernee Simons and big man Luka Garza, but the team's proven NBA talent level dropped through a series of moves.

In his latest rankings on CBS Sports, writer Collin Ward-Henninger dropped the Celtics into the middle of the NBA pack: dropping from three to 13.

"We thought the Celtics might make a move or two before what many expect to be a 'gap year' as Jayson Tatum recovers from Achilles surgery, but this was a gutting. Gone are Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet, and they've been replaced by Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang and Luka Garza," Ward-Henninger wrote.

'With Jaylen Brown and Derrick White (for now), the Celtics are still talented enough to be a legit playoff team, but there's a chance there could be more moves going forward that change the shape of the roster."

The moves from the Celtics come as a result of salary cap issues. The team's roster was expensive and full of high-value contracts.

If the Celtics had won the title this past season or if Tatum had been healthy, they probably would have run it back with their veterans.

Instead, the team opted to retool the roster and give them long-term flexibility since, without Tatum, the team has little chance of capturing a title.

The bill comes due for any team that contends year after year, and the front office calculated that now was the time to pay the consequences before going for it again once Tatum returns.

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For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.