Are Celtics Heading for Rebuild after Jayson Tatum Injury?

The Boston Celtics’ Game 4 loss experienced the finishing touches of Jayson Tatum‘s tragic injury. With one game away from elimination at the hands of the New York Knicks, it would be hard-pressed to find any optimism in a direction where the Celtics can recover. All things considered, the round two matchup between the Eastern Conference rivals has played out in plain, weird fashion. Simultaneously, the series has had excitement and thrill from the get-go, including poor shooting performances to multiple 20-point comebacks by the same team. With all that said, suppose the Knicks close it out in Game 5, and Tatum’s injury is significant, keeping him out of any further games. What happens for the C’s next? Is it simply a letdown after a championship, leading to a “run it back” scenario next season? Or could a Boston Celtics rebuild be in the future?

Are Celtics Heading for Rebuild after Jayson Tatum Injury?

ESPN analyst submits a Boston Celtics rebuild could be on the horizon following Jayson Tatum’s injury

Any notion of a rebuild in Boston sounds like an extreme overreaction. Especially when Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the franchise’s cornerstones. Additionally, the supporting cast is one of, if not the best, across the league. That said, the Celtics are also the third-highest payroll team in the NBA (Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves are ahead). Tatum and Brown delivered one ring as recently as last season. However, if the Knicks knock the Celtics off in five, is it totally implausible to speculate that a rebuild could happen? Another thought is to consider the ownership changes behind the scenes.

NBA analyst Jay Williams submitted on First Take this week that a teardown of the supporting cast would be warranteddue to the ages of some of Boston’s players. Williams talked about where the Celtics are [18:45 mark], due to Tatum’s injury. 

“It’s crazy to think about a team that literally within seconds goes from a championship contender to then transitioning into a rebuild,” Williams began. “Essentially, that’s what we’re talking about here, right? We’re talking about having a fire sale, and a fire sale with some of the older players. So, Al Horford, 38 years old, Jrue Holiday, 34 years old, [Kristaps] Porizingis is about to turn 30. But it feels like he’s a 38, 39 year old 30 with all the injuries he’s been battling.

“…It almost feels like you need to let go of these rotational players, give Jayson Tatum the time to do rehab. Next year is what next year is to a degree. Try to rebuild with players that can all defend and that can all shoot, that fit into the Joe Mazzulla style of play. But that’s the reality of where this team is because of hitting the apron, and just where they are with older players on their roster.”

New ownership will play a role if Celtics choose a rebuild

We saw it happen in Dallas already: New ownership leads to massive change via a blockbuster trade involving Luka Dončić. How involved or uninvolved the Mavericks’ new ownership was in Nico Harrison’s decision to pull the trigger remains murky. However, the trade followed the change upstairs, with Mark Cuban largely out of the picture. Now that Boston has undergone its own ownership shift led by private equity executive Bill Chisholm, it’s fair to wonder what changes could occur. Considering the amount of money being poured into the Celtics roster, it’s certainly relevant. Mind you, this notion was out there before the playoffs began, and was a thought even if the Celtics repeated.

If Tatum’s injury recovery moves into next season, would Williams’s take on a rebuild be so far off? Next season might be the best timeframe to retool around Tatum and Brown. In doing so, Boston’s championship window might shut for one year, but it will have the chance to reopen for years after.

 

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