Jaylen Brown played through a partially torn meniscus in his right knee, but it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be an issue going forward. The Celtics announced Wednesday that Brown “underwent a successful right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure.” Brown is also expected to participate in training camp without any limitations.
Brown had been mulling over whether surgery was necessary for his right knee. It was clear he wasn’t at 100% during the Celtics’ playoff run as he didn’t have his normal explosiveness and burst. The Celtics fell in six games to the Knicks in the second round in a shocking upset that also included Jayson Tatum rupturing his right Achilles tendon.
Considering Brown should be ready for training camp in a few months, that’s a positive sign that it won’t affect him in the long-term. The Celtics are set to shed payroll this summer, but at the very least, they know their All-Star wing will be healthy going forward.
After the postseason, team president of basketball operations Brad Stevens expressed appreciation for Brown’s effort for the team despite being hampered by a partially torn meniscus.
“We’ve known that for a long time and he’s known that for a long time,” Stevens said of the injury last month. “But it just tells you, these guys care. They care about winning, they care about playing, they care about playing well. And again, he’ll drive that, but certainly we’re thankful for how much and how hard he’s played but he was definitely experiencing some discomfort there in March but you guys all watched it in the last couple of weeks, I thought it got better and better and better and I think he actually felt better or at least he told me he felt better at the end of the Knicks series.”
Brown’s surgery adds another layer to a potentially intriguing offseason for the Celtics. The 28-year-old is set to enter the second-year of his five-year supermax contract, earning $53.1 million next for the 2025-26 season. Boston is expected to undergo some serious roster changes to shed payroll and recalibrate the roster around Tatum upon his recovery. Assuming Brown stays put, he would be set to become the team’s No. 1 option next season for the first time in his career.