One of the many lingering health questions surrounding the future of the Boston Celtics got answered Wednesday.
The Celtics announced that Jaylen Brown, after undergoing a right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure, is expected to participate in training camp without limitations. Right knee issues, including a partial meniscus tear, limited Brown over the final months of the 2024-25 season, and there were concerns that offseason surgery might compromise his availability for the start the new season.
Now, assuming Brown is still on Boston’s roster after the team’s upcoming offseason maneuvering, the Celtics would have one of their two superstar forwards available to start the 2025-26 campaign. Jayson Tatum is sidelined indefinitely after rupturing his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Celtics have tough financial decisions to ponder this offseason, needing to shed $20-plus million to get off the punitive second apron, plus an additional $20 million if they yearn to dip below the luxury tax line with a long-term goal of resetting cumbersome repeater penalties. That’s before addressing the future of free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet.
Hovering above all that was the health status of three core members of the championship squad. There is no timeline for Tatum’s return, while Kristaps Porzingis battled a mystery illness that sapped his energy throughout Boston’s playoff run.
Brown being ready for training camp won’t stop trade speculation. In fact, knowing Brown will be available to start the season might make rivals more likely to inquire about his availability.
But if the Celtics elect to proceed with Brown and Tatum as the core of their team, then next season allows a healthier Brown to slide into the 1A role. Even after he won NBA Finals MVP and helped the Celtics secure Banner 18 in 2024, there were some who wondered if Brown eventually would want to be the clear-cut focal point of a team rather than share that spotlight.
Now, Brown might get the opportunity to do that in Boston.
The idea of Brown as the focal point could be an intriguing storyline if the Celtics are navigating an uncertain season while Tatum rehabs. Brown, snubbed from All-NBA status during the 2023-24 season and ineligible for that honor after playing just 63 games last season, would have every opportunity to showcase his ability to lead whatever version of the Celtics emerges this summer.
The 28-year-old Brown is entering year two of the five-year, $285 million extension he signed in July 2023 and will earn $53.1 million next season.
Brown averaged 22.2 points, a career-best 4.5 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game last season. His shooting efficiency dipped from his stellar 2023-24 season, down to 46.3 percent overall and 32.4 percent beyond the 3-point arc. Brown was voted to his fourth All-Star squad as a reserve, but knee woes contributed to him falling short of the 65-game threshold necessary for end-of-the-season award consideration.
The need for a surgical cleanup only hammers home how Brown played through pain at the end of the season, with Boston hoping to become the first Celtics squad to repeat as champions in over a half century. Brown clearly was hindered from night to night in the postseason but still produced some of his finest play, particularly in the immediate aftermath of Tatum’s season-ending injury.
Brown fretted that all of Boston’s injury woes seemed to nip the team at the worst part of the season.
“We just had some unfortunate events, some injuries,” said Brown. “Personally, I had some stuff that I was persevering through and it caught up to us in the end.”
Later, Brown added: “I’m looking forward to coming back stronger. Just take this [early playoff exit] with your chin up. I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now. Obviously with JT being out and us ending the year. But it’s a lot to look forward to. A lot to look forward to and I want the city to feel excited about that.
“This is not the end. I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
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