Well, well, well… if you thought the Boston Celtics were going to sip green smoothies all summer after dominating the regular season, think again. Jaylen Brown might be showing face of the franchise energy lately — popping up in Boston like he’s running for mayor — but behind all those baby-kissing weekends and autograph sprints, the reality is far from picture-perfect.

Sherrod Blakely dropped a sneaky bomb when he revealed that Brown’s offseason tour might be masking some bigger uncertainty brewing in Boston. As Blakely put it, “Jaylen Brown — who, since the season ended, most folks don’t know this — but he’s been kind of on a ‘I don’t want to go anywhere’ tour.” From hugging fans to smiling through every photo-op, he’s clearly trying to send a message: I want to stay.

But Celtics execs might have different plans. And they’re not just sipping Dunkin’ and high-fiving each other about that 61–21 record either.

To start, let’s talk health — because this roster might need a collective physical. Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury (suffered in Game 4 vs. the Knicks) isn’t just a footnote, it’s a franchise-altering moment. Vincent Goodwill didn’t mince words: “We’ve got to get through the summer first and see how Brad Stevens sort of retrofits this roster… as you wait on Jayson Tatum to come back from that Achilles injury.”

That puts Jaylen Brown in the spotlight, whether he likes it or not. He just underwent arthroscopic knee surgery himself — a cleanup job on his meniscus after battling through pain all postseason. But the timeline is far less scary than Tatum’s. Brown should be back by training camp, and Brad Stevens himself is reportedly confident in the All-Star’s recovery and leadership.

That brings us to the first big twist in this offseason drama: Jaylen Brown might have to lead this team into battle, even while being dangled like trade bait behind closed doors. This next part isn’t pretty, folks. We’re talking about the Celtics’ aging core, luxury tax nightmares, and the brutal second apron rules that make GMs sweat harder than Marcus Smart in crunch time.

Vincent Goodwill explained it perfectly: “That’s probably a function of the collective bargaining agreement. That’s a function of — remember — new ownership coming in. And I’m sure they don’t want to have a huge luxury tax bill… you don’t want that.” Translation: Someone’s got to go. And all eyes are on two battle-tested vets — Jrue Holiday and Al Horford. Both are walking that fine line between “veteran presence” and “salary cap burden.” Jrue’s going on 36. Horford’s practically ancient in NBA years at 38. It’s like they’re aging backwards in leadership value but forward in payroll pain.

Al Horford’s future with the Celtics seems increasingly uncertain. While he’s publicly expressed a desire to return for a 19th NBA season—and do so in Boston, where he’s spent nearly half his career and helped capture the 2024 title—the situation may be shifting. Reports from May suggested he’d be open to a team-friendly deal, possibly even signing at the veteran minimum to help the Celtics manage their cap sheet. They do hold his Bird Rights, meaning they could offer more, but a significant pay cut from his $9.5 million salary last season is expected.

However, without Jayson Tatum potentially anchoring the roster, the appeal of staying in Boston—especially if Horford’s chasing one more ring—might fade. On The Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst hinted at a major development: “Al Horford is a free agent. I don’t think at this point it makes a lot of sense for Horford to be back in Boston. Maybe he will be, but given where things are with the Celtics, I think he’s now much more in play than he might have been a month ago,”

Furthermore, Goodwill asked the million-dollar question: “Is Jrue Holiday still on this roster? Is Derrick White still on this roster? Is Kristaps Porziņģis still on this roster?” Heck, even Al Horford’s retirement dinner plans are on hold while the front office figures out whether he’s staying or getting traded mid-lob.

Jaylen Brown: Trade Bait or Franchise Savior?

Let’s not forget the man of the hour — Jaylen Brown. Despite dealing with a bone bruise and torn meniscus, he averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 boards, and a career-high 4.5 assists this past season. The man even dropped nine 30-point games, including a spicy 44-point eruption on December 27 against the Pacers. In the playoffs, he soldiered through pain, posting 22.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 3.9 APG while practically duct-taping Boston’s title hopes together after Tatum’s Achilles quit the party. And let’s not forget that iconic Game 5 performance — 26 points and 12 assists to keep the Celtics alive. Brown wasn’t just balling; he was dragging the squad.

Despite inconsistent bench help and Porzingis coughing up a flu-ridden postseason, Jaylen was the rock. The Wakanda Forever of this team, if you will. And yet, because of Boston’s cap crunch, he’s the guy with the biggest target on his back. His contract is massive, but so is his impact. So here we are: the team’s only fully healthy All-Star, fresh off knee surgery but expected to be ready to roll… might be traded just to avoid paying for winning.

Let’s be clear — this is still a stacked roster on paper. Tatum (eventually), Brown, Porzingis, White, Holiday, Horford. But the bench? Pritchard earned Sixth Man of the Year and Sam Hauser’s nine-threes-in-a-quarter trick earned him a $45M deal. The bones are strong, but the meat around it is starting to rot under cap pressure.

Boston shot 48.5 threes per game (yes, you read that right) but finished only 10th in shooting percentage — a reminder that this team could go from Larry Bird to Kelly Olynyk in about six possessions. Their offense was 5th in rating at 114.4, but the dependency on perimeter heat checks made them streakier than Marcus Smart’s hair dye timeline.

Now with Tatum out 10–12 months and Brown rehabbing, the Celtics need answers. Fast. “Let’s just get in the top six… let’s see what Jayson Tatum is come March and April,” Goodwill said, hinting at a gap-year strategy. Jaylen Brown is expected to hold the fort. But if Brad Stevens decides that shaving the cap sheet is more important than giving Brown a real shot at being the guy, we might just see another shocker.

Jaylen Brown is doing everything right. He’s shown up, shown out, and shown loyalty. But loyalty might not be enough in an NBA where luxury tax fears hit harder than a Grant Williams shoulder screen. With Horford and Jrue Holiday’s futures hanging by a thread, the Celtics could go from contender to “mid” real quick.

And if they trade Jaylen Brown in the process?
Let’s just say — Boston fans might start booing ownership louder than Kyrie ever did.