The Boston Celtics made some big moves this offseason, and they could shake up the East.
Going into the 2025-26 season, the Celtics know they probably won’t be able to contend for a championship. With Jayson Tatum expected to miss the entire season recovering from a torn Achilles, the Celtics opted to make some massive changes after their second-round exit.
Boston’s biggest moves came within the first few days after the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals, moving Jrue Holiday to Boston and Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta. While both of those deals were made with the intention of solving some of the Celtics’ financial problems, they came with some unintended consequences as well.
Sure, the Celtics’ moves were certainly made with the idea that Boston would be taking a gap year, but Brad Stevens also knew there was an abundance of talent on the way out. In a recent article from Bleacher Report, Mo Dakhil wrote about how the Hawks are in a position to be one of the surprise teams next season.
While the Hawks already had plenty of buzz around Trae Young and Jalen Johnson, the offseason additions of Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker have fans wondering if this could be the year Atlanta breaks through.
Considering Porzingis’ versatile offensive ability and his rim protection on the other end, the Celtics might have unintentionally created one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Although Boston won’t necessarily have to worry about the Hawks in 2026, it’s hard to imagine Atlanta looking much different when the Celtics are ready to contend again in 2027, and they might just have to face their championship big man.
