The Boston Celtics entered the 2024-25 season with championship aspirations, posting an impressive 61-21 record that seemed to validate their title hopes. Their playoff journey began promisingly with a decisive first-round victory over the Orlando Magic, but fate had other plans.
The team’s championship dreams ended during the second round, which was against the New York Knicks. Franchise cornerstone Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles rupture in Game 4’s 121-113 loss on May 12, 2025. This injury, which is expected to sideline Tatum for most of the upcoming 2025-26 season, sent shockwaves through the organization and forced management to reassess their immediate future.
With their superstar sidelined and the offseason bringing unprecedented roster changes, trade rumors have swirled around remaining core players. However, Celtics General Manager Brad Stevens has finally addressed the speculation head-on, providing clarity on the franchise’s direction moving forward.
Stevens Prioritizes Core: Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to Remain Celtics
During the 2025 NBA Draft first-round press conference, SB Nation’s Noa Dalzell posed a crucial question to Stevens about his expectations for next year’s roster composition.
Without hesitation, the veteran executive outlined his vision for maintaining the team’s core foundation despite recent rumors regarding Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.
“We’ve got the foundation. With Jaylen and Jayson and D-White and Payton, and all those guys that a lot of teams would love to have,” said Stevens during the interview.
Asked Brad Stevens, amid the uncertainty, what he does expect from next year’s roster:
“We’ve got the foundation. With Jaylen and Jayson and D-White and Payton and all those guys that a lot of teams love to have.” pic.twitter.com/VJrtKJSyeo
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) June 26, 2025
This statement comes at a time of significant roster restructuring for the Celtics. The organization recently sent veteran point guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for young scoring guard Anfernee Simons and a pair of second-round picks. This move, reported on June 23, 2025, aimed to create financial flexibility for Boston.
Additionally, the Celtics moved Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a complex three-team trade on June 24, 2025. These personnel changes sparked immediate speculation about whether other key players, particularly Brown and White, might also be on the trading block. Stevens’ recent comments, however, have effectively put those rumors to rest.
Brown had a strong season, as he averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game for Boston in 63 games played during the 2024-2025 regular season. Perhaps most impressively, he powered through the playoffs with a partially torn meniscus in his right knee. On June 11, 2025, it was revealed that he had “underwent a successful right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure,” as per the team. He is expected to be ready for training camp without limitation.
White, meanwhile, continued his all-around excellence, putting up 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per contest in 76 games played during the 2024-2025 regular season.
“We’ve got to prioritize JT’s health and make sure that he comes back fully strong. JB had a surgery, although his timeline to be back will be much quicker, obviously, and ready at the start of the season.”
“So, I think the biggest thing for us is just making sure that we balance [financial flexibility and health], maximizing what we can with regard to what we bring back so we can continue to build and grow,” said Stevens during the press conference.
As for the future, the Celtics added more young talent to the mix. They selected Hugo González with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on June 26, 2025. He is expected to develop into a reliable two-way player and potentially grow into a larger role.
