It has been just a few months since Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. In a five-game series, the Celtics brought home their first NBA championship since 2008 to win their unprecedented 18th title in franchise history. This Finals victory moved them ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for most titles by a franchise in league history. But now, Tatum and the Celtics have their eyes set on a repeat. No NBA team has repeated as NBA champions since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. However, the Celtics have a good chance to break this streak. And according to Tatum himself, he fully expects his team to make it back to the NBA Finals next season. As to who he thinks his team will face, Tatum predicted that they will match up against Dallas once again in 2025.
In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Celtics star predicted an NBA Finals rematch in 2025.
“It’s going to be a rematch. We’re going to play Dallas again.”
– Jayson Tatum on the 2025 Finals Matchup
(h/t @clovermars1) pic.twitter.com/SURFlPK0j4
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 12, 2024
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Reveals 2025 NBA Finals Prediction
Analyzing Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks Prediction
A Celtics and Mavericks rematch in the NBA Finals next year is certainly possible. Of course, both teams met in the Finals this past June and look poised to make it back next year. The Celtics are running it back with nearly the exact same team for the 2024-25 NBA season. Svi Mykhailiuk (signed with the Utah Jazz) and Oshae Brissett (currently remains unsigned) are the only players from last season’s championship team who are no longer on the roster. Additionally, assistant coach Charles Lee departed after one season to become the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Celtics brought back Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta in free agency. Furthermore, they extended the contracts of Derrick White and Jayson Tatum this summer as well. As they prepare for next season, the Celtics remain the team to beat in the NBA.
As for Dallas, they took the opposite approach. The team acquired four-time champion Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors this summer. Additionally, they brought Spencer Dinwiddie back, traded for wing Quentin Grimes, and signed Naji Marshall. On the flip side, they lost Derrick Jones Jr. to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency and traded Josh Green to the Hornets and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Detroit Pistons. Fresh off their NBA Finals loss, the Mavericks look like an improved team. However, there is a lot of competition in the West. They have an opportunity, but it will be difficult for the Mavericks to make another NBA Finals appearance in 2025.
The Last Word
There are a lot of teams that will be in legitimate title contention next season. Although the Celtics and Mavericks both have a case to make it back to the Finals, there are plenty of other teams in the league who could spoil their dreams. The start of next season is just a little over a month away. It will be worth watching both teams next season as they prepare for another deep playoff run.
