The Celtics have been one of the teams hit particularly hard by the CBA’s second apron rules, especially in conjunction with the team being sold and the Achilles injury to Jayson Tatum that has forced them to take a step back from their title contention goals. That has led to the team trading away players such as Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Georges Niang (who was acquired in the Porzingis deal) in an effort to shed salary.
However, just because the Celtics have been working to get their books in order doesn’t mean that fans should expect them to outright tank this season, writes Chris Forsberg for NBC Sports Boston.
In a mailbag, Forsberg shares a story from general manager Brad Stevens‘ coaching days to illustrate his mindset. Forsberg writes about the 2014/15 season, when the Celtics, coming off their first missed playoffs since 2007, started the year 13-26.
When confronted by Jae Crowder about whether he was okay with losing, Stevens refused to consider tanking, and the team eventually pulled together a 40-42 season and a trip to the first round of the playoffs. Forsberg writes that the refusal to accept losing helped define Stevens’ tenure as head coach, and will likely do the same for his tenure in the front office.
While there would be an undeniable benefit in the Celtics landing an unexpected top pick in a loaded 2026 draft class, Forsberg believes the esteem in which Stevens holds winning and competitiveness will likely preclude the front office from selling off important future-facing pieces — even if the team falls well behind the pace established by last season’s 61-win squad.