Exec makes Celtics playoff guarantee amid harsh Jayson Tatum, second-apron realities

The Boston Celtics' 11-year playoff streak, currently the NBA's longest, faces potential jeopardy in the 2025-26 season due to significant roster uncertainties.

Major concerns include star Jayson Tatum's recovery timeline from a devastating Achilles rupture and veteran big man Al Horford's pending free agent decision. Additionally, starting guard Anfernee Simons has reportedly been involved in trade discussions. An anonymous Celtics executive admitted the team is "still figuring it all out" and confirmed they are currently above the restrictive second salary cap apron but "won’t finish there".

To avoid the second apron's severe penalties under the new CBA, the Celtics traded away two key players from their 2024 championship run: guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis. The executive acknowledged the difficulty of these moves, stating it "sucked" because the players were loved and loved Boston, but emphasized the necessity, admitting the team isn't a contender-level without Tatum.

While these major trades mean the Celtics don't need to shed much more salary to duck below the second apron, they will likely still need to dump a minor contract via trade or roster cut in the coming weeks. Despite describing the offseason as "difficult and bleak", the executive guaranteed the team will make the playoffs ("We’ll be a playoff team"). However, they stressed the importance of avoiding the second apron for any non-contender, calling staying over it "poor management" due to harsh penalties like frozen draft picks and pick drops.