2025-26 Celtics Outlook

Rich Gotham, the president of the Celtics, shared insights on the team’s future during a recent press conference. With star forward Jason Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles injury ongoing, it seems he may miss a significant portion of the upcoming season.

Gotham expressed confidence, stating, “You’ll see a team that works as hard as possible to win. I think, well, we might struggle a bit this year.” He acknowledged that while expectations have been set low, there’s still a sense of excitement among fans, despite the recent disappointments.

Tatum, who is 27, suffered his injury in May during the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where the Celtics were eliminated in six games. Gotham didn’t completely dismiss the possibility of Tatum returning this season. The six-time All-Star has been pushing to get back on the court, even if it seems unlikely.

“What I know about JT is he’s going to do everything he can to support us,” Gotham noted. He added, “He’ll work hard to recover quickly, but for now, we’re not focusing on a timeline.” Meanwhile, Tatum has been seen without walking boots in recent weeks, indicating progress in his recovery.

The Celtics underwent significant roster changes this offseason, including trades involving Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. They acquired Anfernee Simons from Portland in a holiday deal, but it seems they may let Al Horford go, as he’s been frequently linked to the Golden State Warriors this summer.

Additionally, the team recently traded George Niyang to the Jazz in exchange for rookie RJ Lewis and a couple of second-round picks. With all these moves, the coming season is shaping up to be quite the experiment for the Celtics, which is both exciting and, well, a bit nerve-wracking.