The Celtics outlook changed drastically for next season following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury. However, the long-term future for Boston also doesn’t look nearly as rosy, according to ESPN’s Future Power Rankings. The projections, which take into account the team’s expected on-court success for the next three seasons, suddenly have put the Celtics into the middle of the pack in the league. Boston’s ranking dropped from 2nd ahead of last season to 13th overall for the next three seasons.
ESPN analysts rated teams in five categories and ranked them relative to the rest of the league. The Celtics found themselves outside the top-10 in three categories, with players (13th), money (12th) and draft assets (18th) fading. Stronger showings in market (9th) and management (8th) did not make up for the gap.
Four Eastern Conference teams finished above the Celtics in the rankings, with the Knicks (3rd), Cavs (4th), Magic (7th) and Hawks (12th) surpassing Boston after the team traded away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this offseason to help the team dodge the second apron and massive luxury tax penalties. Still, Brad Stevens has the team’s remaining core talent under contract through at least the next three seasons although there are limited means to add around them given the team’s cap situation.
The Magic and Hawks made notable roster upgrades this summer, including landing former Boston big man Kristaps Porzingis in a trade. However, it’s difficult to project a brighter future in either spot than Boston once Tatum returns to the floor, likely during the 2026-27 season. The uncertainty around what Tatum may look like when he returns could factor into these rankings, or perhaps the challenges of building around two supermax players under the NBA’s new CBA.
The Oklahoma City Thunder unsurprisingly topped the rankings for the second straight season after coming off an NBA title.
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