It's going to take a long time for the sting of the Jaylen Brown trade to wear off. To be honest, it may never go away. It's the type of deal that lingers in the air around an organization for years. A stench that will only wear off if hindsight has its way with it. And that would take a Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce trade-esque shift in narrative.
Nothing will take away from that. Nothing can take away from that. But life goes on. NBA basketball will tip off again in October, as it does every year. The Boston Celtics will be back.
So, that's what we're going to discuss. Put the Brown trade -- as unfathomable as it is -- to the side for a moment. Because the Celtics are going to roll out a rotation without Brown in it for the first time in a decade. That lineup will take the floor no matter how you feel about the trade. And that lineup will still be one of the best in the East. So, let's take stock.
Here is what the Celtics' rotation projects to look like next season, barring another trade before the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign:
PG: Payton Pritchard, Ron Harper Jr., Mike Conley Jr.
SG: Derrick White, Hugo Gonzalez
SF: Paul George, Baylor Scheierman
PF: Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh
C: Neemias Queta, Mitchell Robinson, Luka Garza
End of bench: Chris Cenac, Dillon Mitchell (TW), Amari Williams (TW), Dalano Banton*
*Dalano Banton is on a non-guaranteed contract. If I had to guess, he won't be on the roster on Opening Night.*
Again, it's impossible to ignore the Brown-trade-sized elephant in the room, but for the sake of looking forward, let's hide the elephant behind a lamp and discuss. Because this roster is better than the one the Celtics walked into last season with.
By all accounts, this is the exact same team, but with Tatum in place of Brown, George in place of Anfernee Simons, Conley in place of Josh Minott, and Mitchell Robinson in place of Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman.
Even if you believe Tatum and Brown are truly equals, all of those other swaps -- purely from a basketball perspective -- are upgrades. George (again, contract aside) is better than Simons. Robinson is better than Boucher and Tillman. There's an argument to be made for Minott, but the Celtics have plenty of wings and forwards better than him, and Conley is a great veteran voice.
Jayson Tatum's health will play a major role in how good the Celtics are next year. But based on everything we saw from him down the stretch of last season, he was heading in the right direction, and probably ahead of schedule.
Payton Pritchard's progression as a player will also be crucial. I'm very high on what he can be moving forward. The same goes for Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh. Boston has plenty of young players who will have a chance to showcase their potential next season.
In fact, every player on Boston's roster has a chance to take a leap next year. So, in just two sentences, what's the best- and worst-case scenario for how next season could go for every player on the roster, and for the team as a whole in the post-Brown world?
Jayson Tatum: A return to the All-NBA First Team player he's always been, and perhaps even an improvement upon that. Or the injury truly derails his season, preventing him from staying on the court and playing like himself.
Paul George: The injuries subside, and George is able to show glimpses of the MVP candidate version of himself for the first time in years. Or he can't stay on the court -- as has been the case for years -- and the Celtics get little to no production out of him.
Payton Pritchard: All of the offensive growth that Pritchard showed last year takes yet another leap, and the additional touches pay off. Or the efficiency trails off with more touches and defenses are able to shut him down because of his size.
Derrick White: The shooting returns to normal, and the defense stays at the same level, proving last year was a fluke. Or he continues to trend downward, the shot doesn't come around, and teams begin attacking him on the perimeter more often.
Neemias Queta: His foul numbers decline, and the pick-and-roll game improves with Tatum leading the offense. Or the playoffs prove to be more of a realistic glimpse into the future than a blip on the radar.
Mitchell Robinson: Boston maximizes his offensive rebounding and screen-setting within their possession-maximizing scheme. Or injuries catch back up to Robinson, and he can't stay on the floor, particularly when the playoffs come around.
Hugo Gonzalez: The offense takes a major leap from a creation standpoint while the defense continues to thrive. Or he stagnates, gets in foul trouble too often, and gets thrust out of the rotation in favor of other wings.
Baylor Scheierman: Scheierman thrives as a secondary creator and continues to raise his efficiency and volume from 3-point range. Or the defense trails off, and the efficiency dips back down to what it was early in his rookie season.
Jordan Walsh: He finds a way to be more consistent on offense, especially in areas other than behind the arc, all while showing off his elite defensive talent. Or his offensive stumbles continue to get worse, and the defense isn't enough to keep him on the floor.
Sam Hauser: The 3-point shot continues to be reliable on even higher volume. Or his back issues flare up, and the 3-point efficiency takes a significant dip.
Ron Harper Jr.: A new contract comes with new opportunities, and Harper's five-tool game thrives in a variety of roles. Or he doesn't crack the rotation, and the 3-point efficiency proves to be a fluke.
Luka Garza: Even with Robinson in town, Garza gets opportunities and makes the most of them with improved defense and an impressive offensive game. Or he falls out of the rotation, and the efficiency (and defense) falls flat.
Mike Conley Jr.: He proves that he can still play impactful minutes when Boston needs him to step into the rotation. Or his age keeps catching up to him, and he's nothing more than a locker-room presence.
Chris Cenac: Rotation opportunities come, and he makes the most of them with elite rebounding and a developing offensive bag. Or he spends most of the year in Maine and fails to show the potential that flashed in Houston.
Amari Williams: A second-year leap begins to eliminate foul trouble, and he gets to show off his incredible passing chops. Or his numbers fall off in Maine, ending in him getting let go midseason.
Dillon Mitchell: His defensive talent shines through to the point where he actually sees some NBA minutes. Or his lack of an offensive game proves to be too much to overcome, even at the G League level.
Dalano Banton: He makes the roster. Or he gets cut before training camp.
Joe Mazzulla: Playoff mistakes are learned from, and Boston goes into the postseason with the flexibility and willingness to adapt. Or he falls back into the old habits that contributed to Boston blowing a 3-1 lead last year.
Celtics: The same regular-season overachievers as last year carry Boston to yet another impressive campaign, and it goes just as well in the playoffs. Or injury issues and other struggles prevent them from even cracking the top six.
Again, setting aside the emotions surrounding the Brown trade and analyzing only the roster itself, the Celtics have a chance to be very good next season. Tatum is still one of the best players in the world, and they have a deep, talented cast behind him.
Could this team win the Finals? Sure. Would that be my personal projection for them? No. To me, this looks like a team that should be competing for a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals. Not expecting one, but competing for one. They should be in the mix with the best in the East, but they seem a step behind the best of the best.
Then again, that tier is really just the New York Knicks and no one else. Outside of New York, there isn't a team in the East that is obviously better than Boston, though they are probably in the same tier as the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat (depending on how they fill out the rest of their roster).