NBA writer urges Celtics to address center depth amid rocky offseason

The Boston Celtics appear to be entering a gap year after Jayson Tatum suffered a torn right Achilles in the team's Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Knicks. 

In the wake of the injury, Boston has already traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in cost-cutting maneuvers, and the team lost Luke Kornet to the Spurs in free agency as well. Veteran big man Al Horford is also not expected to return, though he remains on the open market.  

The Celtics added Luka Garza this offseason, joining Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman in a relatively unproven center group. While Boston isn't expected to contend for a championship this season, NBA writer Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes standing pat in the frontcourt would be a mistake.

"Championship contention isn't supposed to be on the menu next season,” Favale wrote. “Unless Boston is angling for a bottoming-out year, though, leaving the big-man rotation untouched would be quite the decision.”

MORE: NBA writer urges Celtics to consider former No. 1 pick amid retooling effort

Even with Tatum's return timeline still uncertain, there's a possibility he could return before the postseason. With Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons — assuming he isn't rerouted — the Celtics still have enough talent to push for a playoff spot.

However, contending in a wide-open Eastern Conference seems unlikely with the current center rotation. None of Boston's bigs have proven themselves in expanded roles over a sustained stretch, and while growth is possible, expectations are low. 

If the Celtics leave their current big-man rotation untouched, it would be difficult not to view it as a concession on the 2025-26 campaign. 

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