Did C's drop the ball this off-season?

[Csfan1984]

First no Giannis then they sold JB on the cheap only to watch LeBron join JB after?

How good would C's be if they JKJB? Roster would be legit best in the East with ..

Starters
White, JB, Tatum, LeBron, Robinson

Bench
PP, Hugo, Hauser, Cenac, Queta

Deep Bench
Harper, BS, Garza

[Donoghus]

First no Giannis then they sold JB on the cheap only to watch LeBron join JB after?

How good would C's be if they JKJB? Roster would be legit best in the East with ..

Starters
White, JB, Tatum, LeBron, Robinson

Bench
PP, Hugo, Hauser, Cenac, Queta

Deep Bench
Harper, BS, Garza

What makes you think Lebron was ever going to join the Celtics?

The answer to the question is "We don't know yet".

Personally, I think stepping away from the Giannis deal was the right move.  Too costly.  My issue laid with the return from the JB trade.  The return package was very lackluster and the trade seemed unnecessarily rushed.  I would've rather stood pat that accept what the Celtics got. 

Celtics are still going to be a very good basketball team this upcoming season.  I just don't know what the ceiling is and feels like probably lower than if they had kept JB. 

[Vermont Green]

It is a big leap to assume that if BOS keeps Brown, that they sign LeBron too.  I don't think you can say for sure that LeBron picked PHI due to Brown.  He might still sign there even without the trade, just based on Embiid, Maxey, and George, impossible to know, pure speculation.  I would say that maybe LeBron signs with BOS if BOS got Giannis, but I don't think BOS gets him if they keep Brown.  The best you can assume is maybe, and I don't see it as all that likely.

That said, it is a disappointing off season for BOS.  BOS traded a good player for a lesser player to have less cap he!! the next several seasons (more optionality).  I am not sure that means they dropped the ball, implying that they missed out on a golden opportunity to do something.  Is keeping Brown and extending him picking up the ball and running with it?  Overpaying for Giannis and assuming LeBron will sign here?  What ball did they drop exactly?

Again, disappointing off season but not sure "dropped the ball" is how I would characterize it.  There is going to come a time soon where you look at PHI roster/salaries and say boy, am I glad we aren't them.  Probably not this season, but if Embiid crashes and burns, maybe.

[Who]

LeBron is toast and JB is overated 76ers won't win anything.

Philly won't win anything but it won't be because of LeBron or Jaylen. It will be because Embiid cannot stay healthy.

Philly are irrelevant. They won't win anything. They are an "on-paper team". Not an actual basketball team. Embiid will destroy them. It is not even about their opponents. They will implode on themselves.

[Roy H.]

Yes

[Jiri Welsch]

If you expected them to compete for a title next year, then yes they dropped the ball.

If you expected next year to be a bridge year, then it's TBD.

Personally, I don't feel great about how things stand today. There is a lot of uncertainty. We are now relying on player development and the vague hope for an "upgrade trade" in order to really win. And that player development extends to our best player -- who is recovering from injury and has never really had to be the clear-cut "Guy" on a team in this capacity.

Today feels more like an "IT Celtics" team than any team from the Jays era that I can remember.

[Surferdad]

If you expected them to compete for a title next year, then yes they dropped the ball.

If you expected next year to be a bridge year, then it's TBD.

Personally, I don't feel great about how things stand today. There is a lot of uncertainty. We are now relying on player development and the vague hope for an "upgrade trade" in order to really win. And that player development extends to our best player -- who is recovering from injury and has never really had to be the clear-cut "Guy" on a team in this capacity.

Today feels more like an "IT Celtics" team than any team from the Jays era that I can remember.

I just wish Brad and Bill had come out and said they are not focused on a championship in 2026-27. That would have explained this off-season much better. From a management perspective I still have faith in this front office. It is just their communication style that is confusing.

[celticinorlando]

Yes. This feels like a gap year where they try to save money. Does not feel like a team that is serious about winning.

[ozgod]

If you expected them to compete for a title next year, then yes they dropped the ball.

If you expected next year to be a bridge year, then it's TBD.

Personally, I don't feel great about how things stand today. There is a lot of uncertainty. We are now relying on player development and the vague hope for an "upgrade trade" in order to really win. And that player development extends to our best player -- who is recovering from injury and has never really had to be the clear-cut "Guy" on a team in this capacity.

Today feels more like an "IT Celtics" team than any team from the Jays era that I can remember.

I agree with answer. They felt they had no chance of being a real contender this offseason and maybe even next because of their financial situation, so they've gone the route of "competitive without being a top contender". So if you want the team to get better every year, it's hard to argue it did this year, or even next. (Of course, we never know how teams gel, this team could gel really well. Just because it doesn't have any big names other than Tatum doesn't necessarily mean we should rule them out without even seeing them play.)

This is "optionality" the way Brad sees it - having the option, the financial flexibility, to take advantage of situations at some point in the future, maybe 2 years from now. But because we can't articulate who they might sign, at that point in the future, you can't argue that they will be better then too. They're clearly planning to be, if you look at the glass being half full, but if you're looking at it half empty you can say they whiffed on the big stars like Giannis and LeBum, got a broken down druggo in PG0 instead and have a bunch of also rans supporting Tatum and don't know what or who they will sign with their financial flexibility so they have zero chance of a championship and might even be a play-in team this season 

Fans live in the now, we tune in to cheer on the team based on how they are NOW. Not some imagined lineup 2 years from now, when some of us could be dead. So most will see this as a failed offseason. But I can understand why Brad did what he did, ever since I learned more about the salary cap and the aprons from smart folks here like Roy and jambr and Celtics2021 (sometimes I curse that day for taking my enjoyment away from the game as a fan  ). This offseason sucked for us as fans but it was probably a win for Brad from an asset management point of view 

[Celtics2021]

If you expected them to compete for a title next year, then yes they dropped the ball.

If you expected next year to be a bridge year, then it's TBD.

Personally, I don't feel great about how things stand today. There is a lot of uncertainty. We are now relying on player development and the vague hope for an "upgrade trade" in order to really win. And that player development extends to our best player -- who is recovering from injury and has never really had to be the clear-cut "Guy" on a team in this capacity.

Today feels more like an "IT Celtics" team than any team from the Jays era that I can remember.

I just wish Brad and Bill had come out and said they are not focused on a championship in 2026-27. That would have explained this off-season much better. From a management perspective I still have faith in this front office. It is just their communication style that is confusing.

They are not going to say that.  Brad is never going to limit the expectations the players have for themselves by saying such things.  Set a low bar, and that is what you will get. 

[SparzWizard]

Massively dropped the ball. Optionality? That's absurd talk.

You gonna wait two more years to compete? Tatum is already in his prime and in 2 years he might already peaked. I'd be more concerned about him requesting a trade to LAL or somewhere if Brad and FO cannot please him with these poor roster management.

Now was the time to go all in. Should have included Baylor and Hugo in that package for Giannis. Lure some ring-chasing vets. Now we're stuck with developing rookies and young players. They might as well just tanked the 2025-2026 season for AJ, Peterson, or Boozer.

[LilRip]

Lebron did NOT sign in Philly because of JB. He signed because of Maxey. If we kept JB, I doubt he would have signed in Boston.

I do not think management dropped the ball. I think management was already in a tough position and they made the closest thing to lemonade that they could. I still do not like the return for JB (I would have been much happier with the Giannis trade, even if it meant giving up Hugo + Baylor) but I think we will be able to better measure this offseason after next years offseason. Sucks to be a fan this year though.

[slamtheking]

First no Giannis then they sold JB on the cheap only to watch LeBron join JB after?

How good would C's be if they JKJB? Roster would be legit best in the East with ..

Starters
White, JB, Tatum, LeBron, Robinson

Bench
PP, Hugo, Hauser, Cenac, Queta

Deep Bench
Harper, BS, Garza

What makes you think Lebron was ever going to join the Celtics?

The answer to the question is "We don't know yet".

Personally, I think stepping away from the Giannis deal was the right move.  Too costly.  My issue laid with the return from the JB trade.  The return package was very lackluster and the trade seemed unnecessarily rushed.  I would've rather stood pat that accept what the Celtics got. 

Celtics are still going to be a very good basketball team this upcoming season.  I just don't know what the ceiling is and feels like probably lower than if they had kept JB.

this.

they screwed up their offseason with this move alone.  C's went from being a legit contender to get to the finals in the East to a team likely to lose in the first round.

JB haters are no doubt rejoicing but I have little doubt this season will show how unappreciated his contributions were to this team when Tatum, with a better supporting cast, doesn't get them any further in the regular season or playoffs.  JB had no real second banana to help him during the season and yet he carried the team to the second best record in the east.  C's are likely to wind up as the #6 seed (maybe #5) and get bounced in the first round without getting to a game 7.

[Neurotic Guy]

Lebron did NOT sign in Philly because of JB. He signed because of Maxey. If we kept JB, I doubt he would have signed in Boston.

I do not think management dropped the ball. I think management was already in a tough position and they made the closest thing to lemonade that they could. I still do not like the return for JB (I would have been much happier with the Giannis trade, even if it meant giving up Hugo + Baylor) but I think we will be able to better measure this offseason after next years offseason. Sucks to be a fan this year though.

I agree with all of the above except that I?m not dreading this season at all. The team will be fun to watch.

I get the perspective that it?s all about the playoffs and championships, except that if you?re entertained by the regular season then I guess it?s not all about the playoffs and championships. Looking forward to watching growth of the youth.

[Roy H.]

Lebron did NOT sign in Philly because of JB. He signed because of Maxey. If we kept JB, I doubt he would have signed in Boston.

He signed in Philly because of Brown and Maxey.  Shams reported that LeBron became interested after they got Brown.

I agree LeBron wouldn't have signed here, with the possible exception of us acquiring Giannis.  But, Brad made a poor trade to a division rival, which directly lead to that division rival becoming a contender.

Is Boston currently better than it was before the trade? No.  Is Boston closer to winning a title in the foreseeable future?  No.