BOSTON — The Boston Celtics’ season came to a grinding halt on Saturday night, and the reason wasn’t hard to spot. Boston fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in a first-round series that exposed a glaring issue at the heart of their roster. Brad Stevens found some diamonds in the rough during the regular season, but more work needs to be done to turn this team back into a true contender. Boston had not lost a first-round series since 2021 before this defeat to the 76ers. The Celtics Big problem will top that priority list.
Celtics Big Problem Dooms Them Against 76ers, Have A $42 Million Solution
Frontcourt Issues Exposed
Boston has set itself up with some optionality for the future after trading away big contracts like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis last offseason. However, big decisions will need to be made about the team’s center position.
We saw the limitations of the Celtics big rotation against an elite centre in Joel Embiid, even though he was lumbering around. Embiid went 9-of-11 from the line in Game 7 and finished with 34 points (12-of-26 FG), 12 rebounds, six assists, and one block. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla threw all kinds of matchups at the big man, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown guarding him for stretches.
Despite recovering from an appendectomy done on April 9, Embiid changed the direction of the series with his return; the team won three of his four appearances. He averaged 26.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.4 stocks in the first-round series. Through all four games in the tie, Embiid feasted on his matchups.
Rotation Breakdown
Neemias Queta, who deserved some Most Improved Player votes, was dominated in the post throughout the series. Embiid went 10-of-14 from the field against Queta. Luka Garza offered even less resistance, with Embiid shooting 4-of-6 from the field against him. The most effective defenders proved to be Tatum and Brown. Unfortunately, Tatum missed the last five quarters of this series with knee stiffness.
The Celtics made a splash at the trade deadline by adding Nikola Vučević, hoping his size and scoring would matter in a playoff setting. But as the series wore on, his impact faded rather than grew. In Game 7, that decline hit its clearest point: Vučević didn’t play at all, even when both Queta and Garza were dealing with foul trouble. Instead, Boston leaned on smaller forwards as makeshift centers to handle Embiid. That choice spoke volumes about where Vučević stood in the rotation, and ultimately, the gamble didn’t pay off as the Celtics lost.
That absence was especially striking given his earlier role. Vučević had averaged 19 minutes per game across the first six games, suggesting he was at least part of the plan. Looking ahead, this creates an interesting offseason picture. Vučević is set to become an unrestricted free agent and carries a $30 million cap hold. Given how his stint ended, it’s hard to see a reunion despite the Celtics big problem.
Meanwhile, Boston already has cheaper frontcourt options lined up for next season: Garza at $2.8 million, Queta at $2.6 million (guaranteed on opening night), and Amari Williams at $2.1 million on a non-guaranteed team option. In other words, the team isn’t exactly short on low-cost depth, which makes moving on from Vučević feel less like a risk and more like an inevitable pivot.
Paths to Fix the Problem
The Celtics created seven trade exceptions during the last season, but only three are for a substantial amount (above $2.5 million). The biggest one ($27.7 million) was created in the Anfernee Simons deal. It expires at the trade deadline and could be a valuable tool to add a big without sending out matching salary. Smaller TPEs that Stevens has at his disposal include $8.4 million and $4.7 million. Traded player exceptions cannot be combined in a trade.
The Celtics will have about $180 million in guaranteed money entering the offseason, so they will have full access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15 million) and bi-annual exception ($5.4 million). They also own the 27th pick in June’s draft.
Boston tried to plug a hole with Vucevic. However, his inability to provide effective minutes left Boston with a major hole in the frontcourt amid a rocky series for Queta. Boston needs to find more reliable depth to handle big minutes at center in the playoffs. The C’s could use the mid-level exception to sign a contributor, then package that player with the Simons TPE for an impactful big. They could even re-sign Vucevic to a smaller deal using his cap hold and use him in a deal later on.
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