Bullet point summary by AI
- Brad Stevens is ready for changeafter the Celtics’ playoff exit. He’s doing an “honest assessment” of the roster to improve the team’s margins for next year.
- Boston relied too much on 3s and struggled against elite seeds. Stevens wants more rim pressure and diverse scoring to fix their 3-11 record against top teams.
- Adjusting around the margins keeps the core title-contending roster intact. Subtle bench and offensive tweaks are key to secure a deeper playoff run in 2027.
Plenty of NBA executives would be happy with a season that saw their franchise win 56 regular games largely without the services of a legitimate MVP caliber talent in the form of Jayson Tatum. Brad Stevens is not one of those executives. Instead, he sounds like a man ready to enact serious change after the Boston Celtics disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Celtics lost out on Game 7 at home against their Eastern Conference rivals. It’s worth mentioning that defeat came after Tatum was sidelined again with what the team described as knee stiffness. The Sixers, in sharp contrast, got a massive performance from their oft-injured superstar Joel Embiid in the pivotal game.
Stevens was in no mood to accept excuses in his annual end-of-season press conference on Wednesday. Instead, he talked about the organization’s need to do an “honest assessment” of the roster during the offseason. None of his comments suggested that Boston was ready to offload a bona fide superstar like Tatum, Jaylen Brown or even Derrick White. Stevens was direct in his interest in improve the “margins” of the roster.
What will Brad Stevens do to change the Celtics roster?
Stevens did not hide his belief that the Celtics have become too reliant on the three-point shot. Tatum returning to something closer to full health next season should help diversify the offense. Stevens did more than hint at his group’s need to add a player or players capable of putting more pressure on the rim.
That’s not a skill the likes of Payton Pritchard, Bailey Scheierman or Sam Hauser possess. Each played an integral role in the successful aspects of Boston’s 2025-26 regular season but were less impressive in the series against Philadelphia. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where Stevens explores the trade market of his key bench players to bring in a different sort of player who can get downhill on drives.
Stevens also called out his team’s struggles against elite opponents as a subject of further examination. Boston only went 3-11 against the top three seeds in each conference. That weak record should have tipped officials in Boston off in advance of their playoff failure against Philadelphia.
It’s likely that Stevens will view diversifying his team’s offense as a way to better position the group for success against high-quality opponents. Putting more pressure on the rim should help space the floor for the team’s three-point marksmen. It should also increase the team’s free throw rate which should boost Boston’s offensive effiiciency and consistency over the long haul.
How much change will the Celtics undergo this offseason?
Stevens should be trusted when he says it’s only his intention to adjust the roster around the margins. This team still has the core of an NBA title contender. The Celtics also lack the free agent flexibility or draft assets to enact massive change this summer.
Instead, look for a reimagining of the bench to be the team’s most serious offseason personnel change. That, combined with some subtle offensive tweaks designed to produce more shots at the rim should be enough to give Boston enough runway to make another push towards an NBA title next season.
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