Obviously, we’ll have to wait and see what the Boston Celtics look like out on the court before declaring the current offseason as a failure. On paper though, the Celtics have certainly had better summers as they traded star forward Jaylen Brown for a return that feels like pennies on the dollar.
As a result of their seemingly underwhelming offseason, the Celtics have landed on an unwanted list.
Boston Celtics Named as Team That “Blew It” This Offseason
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale recently compiled a list of five NBA teams that “blew it” this offseason, and the Celtics were the first team listed. Favale thinks that the Celtics sabotaged their own chances of contending in the Eastern Conference by moving a former Finals MVP for an aging Paul George and future draft picks.
“None of the explanations given for the Boston Celtics trading Jaylen Brown pass the sniff test. . . . Assuming this was the best Boston could do doesn’t mean ‘The team had to do it!’ The Celtics could have kept Brown, tried to smooth things over and carried on contending for Eastern Conference Supremacy,” Favale wrote.
“Instead, they sold low, weakened their best playoff lineups and are left clinging to the idea of what George’s expiring contract can be turned into next summer when attached to draft picks.”
Much of the Celtics’ ’26-27 season could hinge on George. If he’s able to remain healthy, he could still prove to be a productive player and a decent sidekick for Tatum. However, he played in less than 42 games in each of the last two seasons, so there are legitimate questions about his health and durability at this point in his career.
Does Mitchell Robinson Raise Celtics’ Ceiling?
Favale also wasn’t particularly impressed by the Celtics’ addition of Mitchell Robinson, who signed a three-year, $47 million deal with Boston.
“Oh, and by the way, poaching Mitchell Robinson isn’t any great shakes, either,” he wrote. “The Celtics thinned out the New York Knicks, but paying 9 percent of the salary cap to a guy who can’t play more than 20ish minutes per game or both ends of back-to-backs isn’t the home run some make it out to be.”
While Robinson is a nice depth piece in the frontcourt, it is fair to wonder how much he truly raises the Celtics’ ceiling. Time will tell.
Boston Celtics Land On Unwanted List After Underwhelming Offseason