It’s the beginning of the end for the Boston Celtics. On May 17, the Celtics lost to the New York Knicks by a crushing 38-point margin and were eliminated from the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Just like the Celtics’ performance this series, it’s safe to say the hopes I had in my last column for the C’s to win big this year didn’t exactly make it past the third quarter. While the Celtics’ second-round playoff exit certainly comes as a shocker, especially after sweeping the Knicks in the regular season, that’s arguably the last thing Boston fans should be concerned with. The season’s real tragedy lies in Tatum’s torn Achilles and the foreboding feeling that game six was the last time we’ll ever see this Celtics lineup take the court.
Watching Tatum’s injury unfold felt surreal. One second, everything was fine, and then the next, Tatum fell to the ground, grabbing at his Achilles. Before this injury, Tatum had only missed one playoff game in his entire career due to a wrist wound and led the league in minutes played since 2018 (24,961). Given Tatum’s strong history, I assumed he only slipped and would be up for the next play. Regardless, though the injury was nearly invisible on film, its effects will certainly become evident for the team going forward.
Tatum’s recovery is expected to last six months to a full year, and if he does return at the end of next season, he will hardly play. To make matters worse, it’s generally accepted that no NBA player fully regains the same physicality after an Achilles injury. Even superstars Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, who are considered to have had successful recoveries after tearing their Achilles, both lost their explosive-to-the-rim driving abilities — a key facet to Tatum’s game. So, while a standing ovation certainly awaits Tatum at the Garden, the hard truth is that we may never see the same JT again.
It doesn’t stop with Tatum, though. The Celtics are in massive financial trouble. If the team doesn’t make any changes in the offseason, they’re expected to pay roughly $225 million in player salaries (second most in the league). More alarmingly, the Celtics will have to pay $280 million in luxury tax. I’ll say that again: $280 MILLION. Why is the tax so high? Three words: the second apron. A two-level threshold tax, the apron system adds additional penalties and trade restrictions for teams exceeding the salary cap. Arguably more important, the 2025-26 Celtics may trigger the “repeater tax” penalty, which occurs when teams exceed the salary cap for three consecutive years — an additional dollar-per-dollar penalty on top of the apron taxes.
To cut roughly $40 million to meet the salary cap, the answer is simple: trades. Since cutting a handful of bench players with million-dollar contracts would be like hacking at the tip of an iceberg, the real decision lies in the starting five.
Right now, there seem to be three obvious choices: Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford. In my opinion, it’s the latter two that should go. As Holiday and Porziņģis make an annual $30 million, letting go of one of them would significantly improve the Celtics’ cap space. Although Porziņģis averaged eight more points per game this year compared to Holiday, Holiday played in 20 more games. Moreover, Holiday played in all 19 games in last year’s championship run while Porziņģis only played in seven. With similar points per game in the playoffs both seasons, it comes down to games played, and Holiday is the better choice.
“The season’s real tragedy lies in Tatum’s torn Achilles and the foreboding feeling that game six was the last time we’ll ever see this Celtics lineup take the court.”
Likewise, Holiday has proved a veteran leader for the team, winning both the 2025 NBA Sportsmanship and Social Justice awards, and plans to stick around per his four-year agreement. On the other hand, Porziņģis may opt to leave after his contract ends next season, especially if the team needs him to step up in minutes due to Tatum’s injury. Similarly, now seems like the right time to say goodbye to Al Horford, who will be turning 39 this June and is an unrestricted free agent for next season. While it pains me to throw Al under the bus after all he’s done for the Celtics during his seven seasons, Father Time is on his trail, and cutting Al’s annual $10 million will help the Celtics prioritize a long-term vision for the franchise.
Although releasing Porziņģis and Al would leave the Celtics with few “bigs,” there’s a great opportunity for 29-year-old, 7’1” center Luke Kornet to step up like he did against the Knicks (seven blocks in game five), and do not doubt that Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office will be able to find other young bigs who are hungry for a start on a good team and will accept a humble contract.
Ultimately, although much is unknown with Tatum’s recovery and what the future of the team holds, the Celtics need to make big changes this offseason. Despite the wails of Celtics fans (including myself), letting go of Horford and Porziņģis might just be the best course of action to shed the $40 million from the salary cap and start fresh next year.
