The Boston Celtics were the second seed in the East this year after going 61-21 in the regular season.
Behind All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games, setting up a clash with the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals.
The Celtics shockingly lost Games 1 and 2 at home to the Knicks, but the defending champions responded by winning Game 3 in New York at Madison Square Garden.
Game 4 is a contest Celtics fans will likely not want to talk about for a long, long time. Not only did Boston lose to New York, but Tatum also tore his right Achilles tendon. The superstar forward could miss all of next season recovering from his serious injury.
The Celtics won Game 5 back in Boston but lost Game 6 in The Big Apple, ending their hopes of repeating as champions. This offseason is a pivotal one for the Celtics, who are set to have the most expensive roster in the NBA next season.
Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown
Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Some believe Boston should make changes to the roster this summer since Tatum could miss all of next season.
With that said, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report is proposing that the Celtics trade Brown to the Magic for Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner, a 2028 first-round pick (top-1-protected) and a 2030 first-round pick (top-6-protected).
This trade idea pairs Brown with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, two of the best young forwards in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Celtics get off of Brown's remaining salary of $236 million.
Brown appeared in 63 games for the Celtics this season. He averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. The 2024 Finals MVP finished this season with a partially torn right meniscus.
The 28-year-old Brown will make $53.1 million next season. The California product has career averages of 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists.