One injury. That’s all it took for the Boston Celtics to go from being a championship-winning team to dismantling their star-studded core. It wasn’t only Jayson Tatum whose season ended as he tore his Achilles tendon during the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals; the entire team’s season came to a halt. Although changes were already on the way, with the Cs boasting a massive wage bill, Tatum’s long-term absence changed the front office’s perspective about the franchise’s future. So much so, despite the offseason barely tipping off, they’ve made two massive moves.

Yes, if you’re not aware, Boston’s championship core has been broken. Jrue Holiday was the first victim of this revamp, with the veteran point guard being shipped to Portland, where he’ll now suit up for the Trail Blazers. Meanwhile, in another shocking move, the Celtics’ big man Kristaps Porzingis is heading to Atlanta to team up with Trae Young and Co. Of course, these exits are tough ones to take for not just the Boston faithful but also for their players. That’s why Jayson Tatum, who despite being injured, couldn’t help but express his emotions.

The Boston Celtics superstar bid farewell to his teammates after the trades on Instagram. First came in Holiday, “2 Gold medals and a championship! Forever grateful to have been your teammate. Great player and better person. My dawg for life.” Tatum wrote, expressing how grateful he is for being Holiday’s teammate. Then he posted another story saying one last goodbye to Porzingis. “Big fella! Never a doubt what you meant to this city and this team. Thankful for you always, champ!” Tatum captioned a picture of them together.

We think Tatum speaks on behalf of all the Celtics fans as he penned an emotional final message for these two outgoing players. Although Boston was already a contender before Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis stepped up when it mattered the most and made key contributions to their 2024 championship run. Jrue brought in the championship experience, whereas Kristaps brought in his ability to spread the floor that proved to be the X-Factor. Unfortunately, Tatum’s injury and Boston’s luxury tax implications have forced an end to an era for the franchise.

However, as the Celtics supporters reel in these two departures, the Boston front office is expected to make a few more before the season starts.

Will the Boston Celtics make more stunning moves this summer?

Although the Boston Celtics have already made two big moves, shipping away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, their front office seems to be just getting started. Up next on the trade block might be Boston’s two most valuable players apart from Jayson Tatum– Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Why? You might wonder. Well, it’s simple. The Celtics are looking to reduce their luxury tax bill for the next season. Of course, this only comes after Tatum being ruled out for the upcoming campaign and their hopes of winning another championship with this core fading away.

NBA journalist Tim Bontemps thinks that there’s more cost-cutting coming Boston’s way. “They’re probably going to do more stuff. I would think from where they sit now, so there’s probably a lot of work left a lot of work left to be done before the roster is complete.” Bontemps said on The Hoop Collective. He predicted that because Tatum is indefinitely out and without him, they’re not going to compete against the best. However, he also pointed out that no matter how depressing it might be for the Boston fans, they’re front office is doing a commendable job.

“You know, look, it’s what I would say is this is a continuing sign of Boston having a really good front office that is able to accomplish its goals at a pretty high level, and while in the moment I agree this is not a fun thing to hear for Celtics fans. This series of moves is not what a lot of other teams could pull off without having to sacrifice future assets, and the fact that they have all those future assets leaves them in a position to, you know, turn around and add pieces down the road and have different ways to do stuff.” He emphasized.

Indeed, although this series of moves might not be as glamorous as the fans would like, Boston is gaining assets and keeping ones already acquired to make the move when it’s time for Jayson Tatum’s return. These moves not only save them money, but they’ll give them valuable cap space, which they can use later down the road. However, one thing is for sure: things will get a lot worse for the Celtics before they get better. So, Cs fans will have to hold tight for the upcoming campaign.