Coming into the playoffs, Jaylen Brown reportedly had a bone bruise in his knee that limited the All-Star’s explosiveness and lateral quickness. As such, we didn’t get the opportunity to see the player who won the NBA Finals MVP just 12 months ago.
The Boston Celtics postseason went from bad to worse when Jayson Tatum went down with an Achilles tear. Now, it would appear Brown’s injury was also worse than first feared.
“Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown finished the season with a partially torn right meniscus, sources told ESPN,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported on May 16. “ESPN previously reported that Brown had received pain injections in his knee. Those injections began in March, sources said.”
Brown’s injury could potentially keep him out for the opening months of the 2025-26 season. As such, the Celtics would be without both of their stars. Given the cost of the current roster, Brad Stevens will undoubtedly be looking to make some changes in the coming months. Brown’s knee issue and the fact that his knees have been an ongoing problem for years could make him a potential trade candidate.
The Celtics are facing a reality they never planned for. What once projected as a dynasty now looks like a one-and-done roster. Re-tooling over the next 12-18 months is the smartest path forward, ensuring the team is in position to compete when its stars return in full. However, if the Celtics don’t trust that Brown will make a full recovery and fear his knees will become a recurring problem, he may not be part of the next iteration.
It’s likely Boston is closer to the lottery than it is to a championship next season. A 28-year-old supermax talent, who relies on athleticism while having knee troubles, isn’t the type of player you want to anchor your team around. As such, the Celtics might need to pivot, and that could scupper the plans they put in place once it was clear Tatum was going to be out for a significant amount of time. Celtics fans will undoubtedly hope somebody wakes them up from this nightmare.
