Celtics offseason outlook: A title is still the goal, but that could be tough sledding

(Yes, Celtics fans. You can exhale now. Lord knows we all need to.)

What's next?

Let's get into it.

2025-26 finish

Record: 56-26, second in the Eastern Conference. Eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games.

Highlight of the season

Jaylen Brown won't like this, given how much he did for the Celtics all year, but the highlight is the return of Tatum, and it's not even remotely close. No one knew what type of condition he'd be in. Whether he'd have physical issues or a slow ramp-up. But he came in, and immediately proved to be very much the same player. That's huge.

In 16 regular-season games, Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Sure, it was disappointing he missed Game 7 with knee stiffness, but in his six playoff games he posted 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He’s going to be just fine next year.

Players signed for next season

Jayson Tatum

Jaylen Brown

Derrick White

Sam Hauser

Payton Pritchard

Hugo Gonzalez

Luka Garza

Baylor Scheierman

Key free agents

Nikola Vučević (UFA)

Neemias Queta (team option)

Projected salary

$172,968,312

Draft picks

Nos. 27 & 40

Draft focus: While the draft is never a place to think need, the Celtics must at least consider using their selections on a big man. They're short up front and don't have a lot of depth, so frontcourt size should be a priority.

Roster-building tools

They should have the Tax-MLE handy, pending no major moves. Vučević hasn't been taken care of yet, and picking up team options on up to six young players will increase the cap hit. The Celtics will need to step carefully here.

Needs and goals

The goal is a title, and that remains in play. Boston needs help up front and could stand to find more point guard depth. Given how much money they have on the cap, it's difficult to see them make a big play for someone, however, unless they're willing to attach draft equity. But that could be in play considering how poorly this season ended.