Celtics Get Significant Injury Update on Jaylen Brown

May 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts during the second quarter of game six in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics face an uphill battle in 2025-26 should they hope to get anywhere close to the top of the Eastern Conference again, where they've hovered since Brad Stevens transitioned away from a head coaching role and took over Boston's front office from longtime team president Danny Ainge.

When six-time All-Star Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon late into Game 4 of a doomed second-round playoff series matchup against the New York Knicks, it represented both the end of Boston's championship core and a release valve for Stevens and incoming new majority owner Bill Chisholm.

Stevens promptly got to work slashing salaries over the summer. He traded away 3-and-D starting center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team exchange, netting back stretch four Georges Niang (who grew up a Celtics fan) and a second-round pick. Stevens would eventually flip Niang and a pair of second-rounders to the Utah Jazz for rookie two-way player RJ Luis Jr., a wing.

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Six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday was shipped off to the Portland Trail Blazers for score-first guard Anfernee Simons, who'll compete with Payton Pritchard to replace Holiday in Boston's first five.

Third-string center Luke Kornet depart for a three-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs to back up All-Star center Victor Wembanyama. Second-string center/power forward Al Horford remains a free agent, as he awaits a likely deal with the Golden State Warriors.

Boston did offer the 6-foot-9 former champ a veteran's minimum agreement to return, but he could fetch more with Golden State on a team with a better shot at a title next year. Given that Horford is 39 and on the cusp of his 19th season, it would behoove him to think short-term.

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Stevens signed center Luka Garza and forward Josh Minott, and next waived point guard JD Davison to duck under the Celtics' salary cap. Boston also later brought in free agent former two-time champion big man Chris Boucher. Boucher, Garza and Neemias Queta will compete to replace the minutes of Porzingis, Horford and Kornet — a massive on-court downgrade, but a cheap one.

To make matters worse, the team's best healthy player, four-time All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown went under the knife to repair a meniscus tear earlier this offseason.

Now, concerned Celtics fans have essentially received a major update on the 28-year-old Berkeley product

The 2024 Finals MVP, was recently spotted hooping in an exhibition matchup in China.

Brown will likely need to improve his on-ball skills this season as he angles for his second All-NBA honor and his fifth All-Star squad appearance.

The fact that he looks so comfortable already suggests he could be available to start the 2025-26 season in the lineup.

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