Expectations weren't necessarily low for the Boston Celtics heading into the 2025-26 campaign. They may be without Jayson Tatum, who's still recovering from a ruptured Achilles and may end up missing the entirety of the season, and they traded key members of their championship team in 2024 this past offseason, with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis being shipped off. But even the most optimistic of fans did not expect that the Celtics would remain within the top three of the Eastern Conference where they currently sit at present.
The Celtics are brilliantly coached, and they have the right personnel to expect in today's pace-and-space-driven NBA. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has gotten the best out of his players, and Jaylen Brown has taken his game to the next level. Brown's averaging nearly 30 points per game on around 57 percent true shooting, and his playmaking has become even better. Not too many people are making jokes about his left hand now (or his lack thereof), that's for sure.
Be that as it may, it's clear that the Celtics need a piece or two more to reach legitimate contending status once again, even when Tatum returns. They've even tried to acquire Ivica Zubac for the low price of Anfernee Simons, a first-round pick, and a pick swap, which the Los Angeles Clippers refused.
They need frontcourt reinforcements after losing Porzingis and Al Horford last year. Neemias Queta and the rest of the Celtics' ragtag crew have done a good job at holding down the fort, but they're going to need a floor-spacing and rim-protecting big similar to the one they had when they won the title in 2024 if they were to break through once more.
If it isn't obvious already, the Celtics have to be dreaming about acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. from the flatlining Memphis Grizzlies.
Celtics' dream trade deadline scenario: Buy low on Jaren Jackson Jr.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) passes the ball as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
The Memphis Grizzlies have been floundering all year long, as their rough stretch to end the 2024-25 season has carried over well into the 2025-26 campaign. They are currently well below .500, and they look primed to continue selling after they dealt away Desmond Bane this past offseason for a king's ransom.
Ja Morant is the popular pick for most likely Grizzlies player to get dealt before the trade deadline, and for good reason. Morant's off-court troubles were easier for the Grizzlies, or any other team for that matter, to deal with when he was producing at an All-NBA level. But he's not even close to being an All-Star-caliber player anymore.
Morant has become one of the least efficient volume scorers in the association; he has a true shooting percentage of 52.1, which would have him as the fourth-least efficient scorer in the league among qualified players, if he had indeed played enough games to qualify. And it's not like he's making up for it with other contributions similar to how someone like Derrick White does.
However, the market for Morant is chilly, and understandably so. Small guards who make a ton of money while not being elite on the defensive end don't have much value, and the decline in production from Morant, at just 26 years of age, is concerning. It's become very apparent that he's lost a lot of lift due to the myriad of injury concerns he's suffered over the past few seasons, and the off-court concern surrounding him makes him such a risky player to take on.
With the Grizzlies having pivoted anyway with the Bane trade and the likely Morant deal that is to come, it may not make much sense for them to shell out top dollar for someone like Jackson moving forward. This could pave the way for the Celtics to acquire Jackson for a reasonably costly price.
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Jackson is about to make an average of around $51 or so million over the next four seasons, and he's not the kind of player whom a team can rely on to lead a playoff charge. He's more of an elite role player, a secondary scoring option whose primary strengths lie in his defensive versatility, shot-blocking, and floor-spacing.
This makes him the perfect fit for a team with the number one options already present (Tatum and Brown) but are in need of another high-caliber supporting player, like Jackson, to get over the hump.
Jackson would allow the Celtics to play a similar brand of basketball to the one that fueled their championship run in 2024. He's not even simply just a catch-and-shoot guy; he can attack closeouts and go towards his favorite lefty baby hook that for some reason opponents cannot stop, and considering the defensive attention Tatum and Brown draw, there will be plenty of room for him to attack off the bounce.
Moreover, the 26-year-old big man is an even better shot-blocker than Porzingis is (at their respective bests) and he's a more mobile defender than Horford was.
The big question mark about Jackson is his rebounding, or lack thereof. It may not be sustainable for him to play the five full-time. But it's not like Porzingis and Horford were suddenly Dennis Rodman for the Celtics when they were at the five. Tatum, Brown, and White can all hold their own on the glass; even Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard have the fundamentals on the boards down pat.
The Celtics' spaced-out, three-point heavy offense and switching, rangy defense makes Jackson a perfect fit, if only they can find a way to pair him with a more solid rebounder for some stretches.
Now, the Celtics have to be very cautious about what they trade. Jackson's contract is no joke, and star players making supermax money while not being fit to be the number one option on a title-contending team are seeing their value decline rather quickly. Such is the reality under this current CBA.
Tatum, Brown, and White have to stay no matter what, as the Celtics will need those three plus Jackson to contend. Anfernee Simons' contract will be the centerpiece, and Boston has to be okay with parting ways with around two to three first-round picks to bring the former DPOY in. The price will be prohibitive, but taking on that risk should very well be worth it.