The Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown are out. Done. A New York Knicks squad that smelled blood and refused to back down bounced the defending champs in six games. What started as a gritty, back-and-forth battle ended with a 119-81 collapse in Game 6. No more “we’re built for this.” No banner defense. Just an early summer vacation.

Brown fought hard, dropping 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting with 6 boards, 6 dimes, and a couple of defensive plays—but it wasn’t enough. Once Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in Game 4, the Celtics lost control. The “next man up” mindset quickly fell flat. Derrick White flashed here and there, Jrue Holiday brought the defense, but the offense sputtered, and the bench never truly stepped up.

After the loss, Jaylen Brown didn’t hold back: “Losing to the Knicks feels like death. But I was taught that there’s life after death. So we’ll get ready for whatever’s next.” That quote stings. Boston didn’t just drop a series—they lost their identity.

This series wasn’t just bad—it felt like the end of an era in Boston and a reset of the Eastern Conference pecking order. The Celtics came in as defending champs with dynasty chatter circling, but the Knicks shut all that down with grit, pace, and smarter basketball. Even before Tatum’s Achilles snapped in Game 4, Boston’s system showed cracks. The bench couldn’t keep up, and the physicality New York brought left them scrambling.

Jalen Brunson straight-up owned the series—over the 2025 playoffs, he averaged 29.4 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.7 boards across 11 games, bringing big-time shot-making and complete control of the tempo. OG Anunoby’s return brought defensive juice and timely buckets. This wasn’t a fluke. New York took the fight to Boston and outplayed them wire to wire..

Repeating is hard in today’s NBA—this marks six straight years without a repeat champ. For the Celtics, the repeat dream’s dead, and the East just got a whole lot more competitive.

Now, Boston’s front office faces tough decisions. Do they stick with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? Rebuild the bench? Rethink the formula? The East moves fast, and standing still means falling behind.

This one’s going to sting for a while. The champs are gone.

Jaylen Brown and the Celtics Have Some Serious Decisions to Make

Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles in Game 4 didn’t just end the Celtics’ title defense—it hit pause on the entire 2025-26 season. No sugarcoating it: Boston’s best player is out for the year, and now the front office needs a full reset. The title window? Slammed shut.

And while fans are still reeling, the front office is staring at a brutal spreadsheet. Currently, the Celtics are sitting on an estimated $227 million payroll for just 11 players, which is well over both the first and second luxury tax aprons. According to Spotrac, their luxury tax penalties could exceed $280 million, bringing the total bill to around $500 million for the 2025–26 season. That’s a staggering price tag, especially with Jayson Tatum sidelined all year.

The Celtics now head into a brutally complicated offseason—not just emotionally, but financially. Thanks to the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, Boston faces stiff second apron penalties: frozen draft picks (like their 2032 first-rounder) and major trade restrictions. Owner Wyc Grousbeck’s March 2025 warning still echoes: “Nobody will stay in the second apron for more than two years.” With the franchise already in the middle of a sale process announced last year, the pressure to slash spending is real—and likely means tough decisions, even potential trades, are on the table.

So, what’s next? First up, free agency. Al Horford might return on a team-friendly deal, but at 38, he’s not changing your season. Meanwhile, Luke Kornet’s been solid, and Torrey Craig might stick around as a depth piece with Tatum out. Additionally, you’ve got young guys like JD Davison and Drew Peterson who could see minutes if Boston trims the fat.

Moving on to the trade market: don’t be surprised if Kristaps Porziņgis or Jrue Holiday are on the block. KP’s injury history and Jrue’s age (plus his contract) make them logical targets. Swapping one or both for picks or younger talent would open up cap room and retool the rotation. In fact, word around the league is that “massive changes” are coming—and honestly, they need to.

Bottom line: the Celtics have two options. Blow it up or ride out a gap year and retool for Tatum’s return. He’s not saving them next season, so Boston needs to get younger, cheaper, and hungrier—fast.

The East is only getting deeper. Boston’s officially on the clock. And as Jaylen Brown put it—“there’s life after death.” For the Celtics, it starts now.