Jayson Tatum

Celtics Notes: Hauser, Tatum, Brown, Walsh, Queta

December 20th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sam Hauser rediscovering his long-distance shot could have a bigger impact on the Celtics than any potential trade before the deadline, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. After struggling from three-point range for most of the season, Hauser drilled 5-of-6 attempts in Friday’s win over Miami.

“It’s great to see it go down,” Hauser said. “Always. It’s just kind of the way the year’s been so far, but I’ve started like this before in past seasons. So, I’m pretty confident on getting back to where I know I can get to.”

A 42% three-point shooter throughout his career, Hauser was languishing at 34% for the season coming into Friday. Terada points out that Hauser has experienced hot-and-cold stretches before, including a year ago when he shot poorly from beyond the arc for the first month and a half, then topped 42.6% each month for the rest of the season.

“I feel like sometimes shot-making is contagious,” Hauser said. “And once you see a couple guys make a couple, then you make a couple. Then it’s like you just feed off each other’s energy. And sometimes you have quarters like that where it’s just an explosion.”

There’s more from Boston:

Count Jaylen Brown among the believers that Jayson Tatum will return from his Achilles tear and play at some point this season. Brown expressed confidence in his teammate’s recuperative powers in a stream this week with DDG, Terada relays in a separate story. “JT just always recovers,” Brown said. “He always recovers. … He’ll probably break the record for fastest recovery in Achilles history or some (expletive). I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Brown was held out of Saturday’s game at Toronto with a non-COVID illness, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Brown had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes on Friday, but he wasn’t available to talk to the media after the game.
Strong starts to the season by Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta could cause the Celtics to consider extensions with both players, Robb states in a mailbag column. The team holds a $2.4MM option on Walsh for next season, but that could be declined in favor of a long-term deal that would prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027. Queta won’t become eligible until next season, but Robb believes an extension is possible if he sustains his current level of play.
Walsh played fewer than 13 minutes on Saturday, but coach Joe Mazzulla explained that it was due to an illness he was experiencing before the game, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.

Stevens: Celtics May Consider Buying At Trade Deadline

December 17th, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Celtics have been one of the surprise stories of the 2025/26 season, boasting the 10th-best record in the league through their first 26 games despite seeing superstar forward Jayson Tatum tear his Achilles in last season’s playoffs and then losing most of their big man rotation in free agency and trades.

That success has given team president Brad Stevens more flexibility as he considers whether to push chips in or accumulate more assets at the trade deadline, Jay King writes for The Athletic.

“We will not put a ceiling on this group,” Stevens said. “If it makes sense for us to look for things that can help us, we certainly will. But it all has to be within good deals, and it all has to be within the ultimate goal, which is the North Star of retooling so we’re in a position to compete for what we want to compete for (a championship).”

King notes that Boston is currently around $12.1MM over the luxury tax line, so a move to shed salary could help the team’s financial situation. However, the Celtics have won 15 of their last 23 games, fueled in large part by Jaylen Brown, who is sixth in the league in scoring at 29.3 points per game, and may find themselves too good to compete for a high draft pick.

“I think everybody, or a lot of teams, are really still very much in, ‘Let’s see how everything looks as time goes on,'” Stevens said. “Everybody’s a work in progress. What’s the difference between third and ninth in the East right now? There’s hardly anything, right? And I think that we’re all still trying to figure out who we are and what we can be.”

Stevens declined to specify what areas he could target via trade, but King speculates that a move to shore up the frontcourt would make the most sense. Anfernee Simons, on an expiring $27.7MM contract, stands out as a trade candidate should the team seek to improve its roster.

One detail that will likely play a determining role in how the Celtics proceed this season is Tatum’s status as he looks to return from an Achilles tear that has kept him off the court since May.

Tatum has reportedly looked better than expected during his rehabilitation, but there are still no concrete expectations.

“We’re not putting a timeline on it as we haven’t the whole time,” Stevens said. “One of the things that everybody can see (is) that we didn’t apply for a (disabled player exception) this year, which was a conscious decision for a lot of reasons. But the reality is he’s not going to be back until he’s 110 percent healthy and he feels good about it.

“… Obviously, he’s itching to play. Obviously he hates watching. But he’s also very cognizant of the need to meet every threshold and why there are those things that are put in place. … There’s the strength thresholds he has to meet. And then, after that, several weeks of progressions, right, from the standpoint of scripted against small groups, scripted against bigger groups, scripted in 5-on-5, unscripted random, all the way up through those. But it’s a long progression, and it’s almost like, once you hit the strength, then you do your thresholds of a progression of play, and then you’re also reconditioning to play real minutes, whatever that looks like.”

Celtics Notes: Queta, Tatum, Walsh, Trade Options

December 13th, 2025 at 7:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Neemias Queta has solved the Celtics‘ center problems this season, but he has been disappointed with his free throw shooting, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. There were concerns about what Boston would do in the middle after trading Kristaps Porzingis and seeing Al Horford and Luke Kornet leave in free agency, but Queta stepped into the starting role and has provided consistent scoring, rebounding and defense. However, he’s connecting at just 61.2% from the foul stripe after being a 71.3% career shooter coming into the season.

“I can get better,” Queta said. “It’s been a tough year for me at the line. I usually feel pretty confident when I’m out there. I don’t know what’s going on. Maybe it’s repetition or maybe it’s just getting my legs under it. But something I need to get better at, most definitely, because that’s unacceptable. … I’m too good of a shooter to shoot that bad.”

Terada adds that Queta’s breakout season has been massive considering that backup big men Luka Garza and Xavier Tillman have both dropped out of the rotation. Coach Joe Mazzulla has gone with smaller lineups when Queta rests, using Josh Minott and other players in the middle.

There’s more from Boston:

Jayson Tatum posted several lengthy workout videos to his Instagram account this week, but Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscription required) cautions that doesn’t mean the All-Star forward will be returning soon. It’s been seven months since Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon, and Himmelsbach states that he continues to remind team officials that he wants to play this season. However, a league source tells Himmelsbach that Tatum still has to reach several milestones in the recovery process before that can be considered.
Doc Rivers is the latest opposing coach to be impressed by Jordan Walsh, Himmelsbach adds in the same piece. The third-year forward has established himself as an elite defender this season, and his shooting has been outrageous lately as he’s 30-of-37 from the field and 9-of-12 from three-point range in December. “It seems like they just put him on anybody to pressure,” Rivers said of Walsh after Thursday’s game in Milwaukee. “His energy is infectious, man. If you don’t want to play hard when you’re watching him play, then there’s something wrong with you.”
The prospect of Tatum returning could prompt the Celtics to be more aggressive about finding another center at the trade deadline rather than waiting for the offseason, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Robb responds to a question about Ivica Zubac, saying the team may be hesitant to part with multiple first-round picks for a big man and is likely to pursue minimum-salary options if a player of that caliber isn’t available.

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Sixers, Kolek, Hukporti

December 10th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

With the streaking Celtics having climbed to the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference on the strength of five consecutive wins and Jayson Tatum doing 1-on-1 work, head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked on Wednesday when conversations might begin in earnest about the possibility of the star forward returning from his Achilles tear in the coming months.

“It’s all up to him,” Mazzulla said, per Jay King of The Athletic. “At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing, his process is the most important thing. You trust him, trust the team that’s around him — he’s got a great team — and then you just kind of go from there. So it kind of just all starts (with) where him and his team think he’s at.”

While Tatum will certainly be involved in the decision on if and when he returns to the court this season, it’s not his to make alone. The Celtics’ front office and medical team, as well as Tatum’s own doctors, will be involved in determining what that plan looks like.

Mazzulla made it clear that he’s not spending much time thinking about whether or not he’ll get Tatum back in his lineup later in the season, since he appreciates the way the 27-year-old is contributing to the team even without playing in games.

“To me, the only thing I care about is his presence and his leadership, and he’s given that in different ways — on the bench for games, communicating with guys, in film sessions, traveling with us,” Mazzulla said. “At the end of the day, he’s on our team. He’s a part of our team. He’s helping us get better, and then everything else just comes down to him and the people around him, and you just trust that.”

We have more from around the Atlantic:

The Sixers need more from their centers, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who notes that Joel Embiid went 4-for-21 from the floor in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, while Andre Drummond was a -15 in 18 minutes despite registering a double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds). Both big men struggled defensively against the Lakers’ duo of Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, who combined to make all eight of their shot attempts, Pompey adds.
Knicks reserve guard Tyler Kolek didn’t get off the bench during the team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal loss last season, but he used his share of the prize money to buy his mother a car, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. This time around, Kolek – who has appeared in 10 consecutive games for New York – should play a more active role in determining how far the Knicks advance. He was a +13 in less than eight minutes on the court in Tuesday’s quarterfinal victory over the Raptors. Asked if his mom will be getting another car this Christmas using his NBA Cup prize money, Kolek replied, “Nope, my dad wants the next one.”
Ariel Hukporti‘s speed could be his path to an increased role with the Knicks, according to Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News, (subscription required) who notes that head coach Mike Brown referred to Hukporti as “one of the fastest bigs I’ve ever been around.” Hukporti, who has had a limited role this fall, logged a season-high 23 minutes in Sunday’s win over Orlando, but played just 73 seconds on Tuesday vs. Toronto and was assigned to the G League on Wednesday (Twitter link).

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Williams, Minott, Garza, Hauser, Simons

November 29th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum has been out of the spotlight as he recovers from the Achilles injury he suffered during the playoffs, but his teammates continue to rave about the progress he’s making, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscription required).

Tatum has expressed hope that he can resume playing by the end of the season, although the Celtics haven’t given any indication on how close he is to that goal. Himmelsbach suggests that even if he’s not ready to lead the team on a run through the playoffs, it could be valuable for Tatum to play a few games and develop on-court chemistry with his younger teammates.

“He’s staying mentally, physically, emotionally prepared,” Sam Hauser said. “He’s working his tail off every day, as you can see. And his presence is still felt even though he’s not out there with us. We appreciate him giving his time to us still, even though he hasn’t been able to compete with us in full. But hopefully (he’ll return) at some point in the season. If not, no big deal. But he’s definitely still one of our leaders.”

Over the past few weeks, Tatum has become more active during the portions of practice that are open to the media, Himmelsbach adds. Most of the work has involved shooting drills with off-the-dribble and change-of-direction moves, and Himmelsbach has seen nothing to suggest that he’s still limited by the injury.

There’s more on the Celtics:

The team’s coordination with its G League affiliate in Maine paid off Wednesday as Amari Williams logged 15 minutes in a victory over Detroit, Himmelsbach adds in the same piece. The two-way center had only played seven NBA minutes up to that point, but he was pressed into duty as Neemias Queta missed the game with an ankle injury. Williams fit right into Boston’s scheme and contributed one point, three rebounds and two blocks. “The ability for a guy to step right in and know the plays, know the coverages, all the pregame work that the player development staff does on the court, and then with personnel, that’s just kind of a testament to the alignment,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “One, to Amari’s mind-set, but also to the staff (in Maine). So, I think with all those things combined, (it) felt just as comfortable for him to be on the floor. I thought he did some good stuff.”
Saturday’s game at Minnesota was a homecoming for Josh Minott and Luka Garza, who both spent several years with the Timberwolves before signing with the Celtics this summer, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “Just appreciative, where I started my career,” Minott said. “The development was great. It wasn’t like I was sitting on my ass for three years. A great environment, great group of people. I don’t think anybody in this city would say I left on a sour note. I loved everybody here and to my knowledge I think they all loved me.”
The contracts of Hauser and Anfernee Simons will be vital in the Celtics’ efforts to trade for a center, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. He suggests the team may be willing to swap Simons’ expiring contract for a player with a longer deal in order to retain a tradable asset for the summer.

Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Queta, Gonzalez, Kalkbrenner

November 15th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has gotten used to contending for championships, so he wasn’t exactly eager to have a roster filled with unproven players, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. His team may be overachieving somewhat with a 6-7 start, but Mazzulla calls it more of a “fulfillment” than an “enjoyment.”

“I don’t enjoy being in the position that we’re in and I don’t enjoy some of that, but I’m fulfilled because at the end of the day we know where we are and we know what we’re trying to get to,” he said. “And we’re doing it with a group of guys that have a competitive care factor that can pay dividends in the long term.”

Boston was already heading toward a roster overhaul because of second apron restrictions, but the process was sped up by Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles tear in the playoffs. Four rotation members of the 2024 title team were lost during the summer, and Mazzulla is now trying to maximize young players, several of whom weren’t able to succeed elsewhere. There have been a few bright spots such as Josh Minott, Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez, and the team is taking on the competitive attitude of its head coach.

“We haven’t played perfect but there has been a care factor to the process of ‘I’ve got to get this right, I’ve got to get this detail right. I have to execute. I have to understand my role. I’ve got to execute it every single night,’” Mazzulla said. “Those things have come easy to guys because of their work ethic.”

There’s more from Boston:

Neemias Queta has gotten plenty of advice from Tatum as he’s taken over as the team’s starting center, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. Queta has adjusted to the role and currently ranks 12th in the NBA in plus/minus. “Yeah, he’s been on me from the moment I got here in Boston, and we’ve been able to build that relationship,” Queta said of Tatum. “He’s always trying to help me figure out why I could do better, figure out how I can get my teammates open, and just trying to be a kind of coach, so to speak, as he can’t play right now. But I feel like he’s been one of the most vocal guys, and he’s always trying to lead us away the way he can see.”
Gonzalez has played so well to start the season that a G League assignment doesn’t seem to be under consideration, Robb adds in a separate story. The 19-year-old has appeared in 11 of the team’s first 13 games and is averaging 12.4 minutes per night. “I haven’t thought about that, no,” Mazzulla responded when asked about the possibility of Gonzalez spending time with the Maine Celtics. “He just came into the season with an open mind through training camp and preseason, and I think he showed and proved, one through his work ethic, his maturity, but really his defensive instincts, that he could play at this level. And so I think that’s more valuable than anything at this particular time. We’ll assess it as it goes on but he’s proven he can play and can impact winning. He’s got to get better at continuing to do that.”
Boston traded away the pick that the Hornets used to select Ryan Kalkbrenner, but there’s no guarantee the Celtics would have taken him if they had stayed at No. 32, Robb states in a mailbag column. He points out that it’s too early to make a definite judgment on Kalkbrenner, an early standout, and the benefits they got in the deal — four extra second-round picks, one of which was used to unload Georges Niang‘s salary — make it worthwhile.

Celtics Notes: Gonzalez, Simons, Scheierman, Tatum

October 25th, 2025 at 1:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rookie forward Hugo Gonzalez looks like a strong contender for regular playing time after an impressive NBA debut Friday night, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Gonzalez energized the Celtics when he entered the game midway through the first quarter with a blend of athleticism and aggressive defense. Coach Joe Mazzulla trusted him to guard Knicks star Jalen Brunson and gave him heavy minutes in the second half as Boston tried to stage a comeback.

“Stepping on the floor was good,” Gonzalez said. “But still, I’m not having a great memory of this day because we lost the game that we could have won. We’re working on details, gotta get better there.”

Terada notes that Mazzulla’s rotation is still unsettled as Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh all saw minutes in the first half, while Josh Minott wasn’t used at all after playing in the season opener. Gonzalez is only 19 and didn’t play much last season with Real Madrid, but he could establish a regular role with the Celtics as a defensive stopper off the bench.

“He understands what it takes,” Mazzulla said. “I think he has a clear understanding of what his role is, and it’s to defend at the highest of levels and play with a level of effort on the offensive end. And he’s able to do that. There are things he needs to clean up, obviously, but I thought he did a great job of helping accept that third-quarter tone of his effort and his toughness.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Anfernee Simons, who spent four years playing for Chauncey Billups in Portland before being traded to Boston his summer, couldn’t believe that his former coach was arrested this week in a federal investigation of illegal gambling, Terada adds in a separate story. “Just in shock, obviously, I have a great relationship with Chauncey,” Simons said (Twitter video link). “Speaking even after the trade, he’s checking in on me, I’m checking in on him. We have a great relationship. It’s an unfortunate situation for him to be in, especially with him and his family. All the media attention is coming in, the scrutiny.”
The Celtics need more production from their three best players to remain competitive while Mazzulla figures out his rotation, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. In the season’s first two games, Payton Pritchard missed 12 of his 14 three-point attempts and Derrick White is only shooting 7-of-24 from beyond the arc and 12-of-38 overall. Jaylen Brown is scoring consistently, but he committed seven turnovers on Friday.
Boston will probably pick up Scheierman’s $2.7MM salary for the 2026/27 season, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. The decision is due by the end of the month, and Robb believes it’s a low-cost gamble for a team that still has to watch every dollar it spends. He views it as less certain that the Celtics will exercise their option next year for the final season of Scheierman’s rookie scale contract, when he’ll earn nearly $5MM.
In the same piece, Robb speculates that it will be sometime in March before Jayson Tatum can realistically consider returning from his Achilles tear.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Mazzulla, Battle

October 16th, 2025 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum remains hopeful about his chances of returning from his torn right Achilles before the 2025/26 season ends, but he tells DJ Siddiqi of PokerStrategy.com that there’s no specific timeline or target date in place at this point.

“Nobody’s pressuring me,” Tatum said. “The team, the doctor, the organization, everybody is just like, ‘We want you to be 100% before you come back.'”

While many players who suffer Achilles tears are sidelined for at least a full calendar year, Tatum made it clear that the recovery process isn’t “time-based” and is confident there would be little risk of aggravating the injury if he’s cleared to come back before the one-year mark.

“Time is obviously important, but you have to hit certain benchmarks,” he explained to Siddiqi. “The most important thing is all these tests of your strength, the strength in your calf, the strength in your leg. Getting into the same strength as your left calf or even stronger. For some guys, that takes six, nine, 12 months. Everybody’s just different. But the surgery that I got, the things that we’ve been doing, I feel very, very confident in that surgical site. We won’t have that problem again.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Celtics star Jaylen Brown told head coach Joe Mazzulla that he’ll be OK after exiting Wednesday’s preseason finale with a hamstring injury, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Brown left in the first quarter and was later ruled out for the rest of the night due to what the team called left hamstring soreness. “Talked to him after, he said he would be fine, but I didn’t get a full update,” Mazzulla told reporters after the game.
When Mazzulla was named the Celtics’ head coach in the fall of 2022, he took over a team with immediate championship expectations. Those expectations remained the same for his first three seasons on the job, but look a little different in 2025/26 as a result of Boston’s offseason roster changes and Tatum’s Achilles injury. Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required) takes a look at how Mazzulla is calibrating his coaching style for the new-look roster. “I think you have to adjust based on the roster that you have and the personalities that you have,” Mazzulla said. “But also the type of personality that you want your team to have. Everyone is different so you have to treat everyone different, but at the same time you have to have a collective personality in what you’re trying to do. You have to be able to spend time and understand what makes each person tick, but your team has to tick at a certain level.”
Ashley Battle – a Celtics scout who also held the title of assistant general manager of the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate – is leaving the organization to join the front office of the Portland Fire in the WNBA, reports Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link). A former WNBA player herself, Battle had been working for the Celtics since 2021.

Atlantic Notes: Wolf, Nets, China, Tatum, Gordon, Edgecombe

October 7th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Danny Wolf, the former University of Michigan big man, is already showing off his play-making ability, Bridget Reilly of the New York Post writes. During the Nets’ first preseason game, the 27th overall pick of the draft dished out five assists in 15 minutes.

“I mean, when the coaches trust me with the ball in my hands, it’s up to me to make a play,” Wolf said. “I think a few times, I got a little too sped up and made a few — I made an errant pass and kinda lost the ball on a ball screen. But when coach Jordi [Fernandez] draws me up or tells us to run a play and it breaks off, it’s up to you to make a play, and I tried doing that to the best of my ability.”

Wolf’s 4.2 assists per game with the Wolverines last season represented the second-best average ever for a college player listed at seven feet or taller, according to Reilly.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets are playing the Suns in preseason games at China on Friday and Sunday, the first NBA games in that country in six years. The Nets began their 17-hour journey to China on Monday afternoon. “When you get there, I think it’s a complete time difference overall, so for the first few days you’re on the opposite schedule,” Michael Porter Jr. told C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News. “That’s a challenge when you go that far, but other than that, I’m excited to bring the NBA to China. I know there’s so many fans, so it’ll be fun. It’ll be fun to get our first taste against another NBA team in the Phoenix Suns, so we’ll really get to see where we’re at.”
While he mends from a torn Achilles, Celtics star Jayson Tatum will have added duties at the collegiate ranks. He’s been named Duke’s Chief Basketball Officer, according to GoDuke.com. In the newly created position, Tatum will volunteer his time as a special advisor to head coach Jon Scheyer and the Duke program, bringing his insights and professional basketball experience to player development, leadership, and life as an elite athlete. “I am ecstatic about the opportunity to be Duke’s first Chief Basketball Officer,” Tatum said in a statement. “This program means so much to me, and I had an unbelievable time here. I already watch every game, come back whenever I can, and connect with Coach Scheyer often. To have the chance to formalize my relationship with the program and broaden my ability to impact the players and culture means the world to me.”
Eric Gordon has played with VJ Edgecombe on the Bahamas national team. Gordon, entering his 18th season, is eager to embrace a mentorship role with the Sixers’ lottery pick, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (subscription required). “At my age, in my phase of my career, you have to mentor,” Gordon said. “That’s without a doubt. I’ve been around VJ the most. I’ve known him for quite a while. Of course, I will be looking forward to not just helping him, but also all the young guys. … But when I’m in the game, I’m going to have to do my part: Knock down shots, spread the floor, let guys operate the length [of the court] on their own.”

Celtics Notes: Simons, Pritchard, Tatum, Boucher, Hauser

September 30th, 2025 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Anfernee Simons was a member of some playoff teams in Portland early in his career, but the Trail Blazers finished at least 10 games below .500 in each of his four seasons as a regular starter. The 26-year-old guard is joining a Celtics team coming off back-to-back seasons of 60-plus wins, and while expectations are lower in 2025/26 with Jayson Tatum recovering from an Achilles tear, Simons is enthusiastic about “contributing to winning games” in Boston.

“I was super excited to come here and join a culture that’s already been set,” Simons said at media day on Monday, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “It’s something that’s going to help my career out tremendously, playing at the highest level of winning basketball. That’s what I was excited about and being part of it.”

A talented offensive player who has averaged 20.7 points per game in 178 outings over the past three seasons, Simons has a reputation as a below-average defender. He’s aware of that label and is determined to do what he can to change it.

“It’s a matter of if I want to do it or not; it’s really that simple,” Simons said, according to Washburn. “Coming into a culture like this you really have to be able to adapt or you’re not going to be in the position you want to be. To me, it’s really that simple, and that’s the honest conversations [head coach Joe Mazzulla and I] had about it. He always says that you’re not as bad as people think you are. That’s good to hear, but also I’ve got to do the work of getting better at that end and get focused on exactly what we need to do on the defensive end. I’m pretty excited about being pushed to a new level, which I can reach.”

There has been a sense that either Simons or Payton Pritchard could start for the Celtics, with the other coming off the bench. However, as Washburn tweets, Mazzulla sought to dispel that notion on Monday, suggesting that it’s not an either/or proposition.

“I’ll nip that in the bud immediately,” the Celtics’ coach said, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Those two don’t go hand-in-hand. They’re completely different.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Tatum has made it clear that he isn’t ruling out the possibility of returning from his Achilles tear at some point before the end of the 2025/26 season, and he raised eyebrows on Sunday when he posted a video of his on-court workouts (Instagram link). Still, he stressed on Saturday that he’s being mindful of not rushing the recovery process. “There’s no pressure to return back any sooner than when I’m 100 percent healthy,” Tatum said, according to Himmelsbach. “No pressure from [president of operations Brad Stevens], [Mazzulla], the team, the organization. The most important thing is that I’m 100 percent healthy whenever I do come back.”
New Celtics big man Chris Boucher, who said on Monday that Stevens told him the team has had interest in him for a while, explained why he viewed Boston as an ideal fit for him in free agency, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com relays. “I’ve been in Toronto for seven years. Obviously we had a great year with a championship and all, but also years where we’re not winning at all and it impacted my time and playing and all that,” Boucher said. “I also feel like I still have a lot to give to the game, so I wanted to go somewhere where I felt like, there’s a winning culture, winning energy and also felt like I wanted to see something different. I wanna be able to show what what I’m capable of doing in multiple ways in the game.”
Although he didn’t end up going anywhere, Celtics wing Sam Hauser was at the center of trade speculation this offseason for several weeks. He admitted on Monday that it was hard to ignore that chatter. “You try to block it out but you really can’t, to be honest with you,” Hauser said, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. “But I know it’s part of the business. I was prepared for whatever. If I was gonna get shipped, great. I stayed, thankfully. I’m glad to be here. But even if I were shipped, I had no hard feelings here. They gave me an opportunity when no one else did. They extended me. They had to do what they had to do and I understood it, but I’m glad I’m here, to say the least.”
According to Himmelsbach, Stevens said on Monday that the Celtics made offers to both Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency in the hopes of retaining them, but admitted that the contracts they got from the Warriors and Spurs respectively are more player-friendly than what Boston could realistically have offered.
With Horford, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis gone and Tatum recovering from his torn Achilles, Jay King of The Athletic explores the Celtics’ efforts to reestablish their culture with a new set of veteran leaders.

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