8 pressing questions facing the 2025 Celtics this season

Opening night is almost here. Time to dive into some key questions.

With opening night less than a week away, it’s time to dive into the biggest storylines facing the Celtics.

Boston has a rare opportunity this season: The Celtics could become the first team since the 2018 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back titles.

Only seven of the league’s 30 franchises have accomplished such a feat. The Celtics are already in the club, having won eight in a row from 1959-1966. They also went back-to-back in Bill Russell’s final two seasons, 1968 and 1969.

Will Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and company become the first Celtic group to repeat as champions since the Russell era?

Here are eight pressing questions for this upcoming season.

Who will buy the team?

The Celtics are up for sale. It goes without saying that ownership plays a significant role in the direction of the franchise.

Earlier this month, team governor Wyc Grousbeck told The Boston Globe that the sale process is “gearing up and about to hit full-speed.”

There will be an open bidding process, which is expected to include current co-owner Steve Pagliuca, who has publicly said he will participate.

There is a possibility that an outsider could come in and win the bid. Current partners could purchase a larger stake. It’s too early to tell what will happen.

The Celtics have retained the vast majority of their entire roster from last year’s championship season.

However, change is coming over the next few years as the sale is carried out, and developments that come out as the process gets underway could impact the team for years to come.

Are they constructed in a sustainable way?

The Celtics are paying a hefty price to keep this roster together.

Tatum and Brown both signed “supermax” extensions worth more than $300 million apiece. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White also signed nine-figure deals that will keep them under contract through at least 2028.

The Celtics are $62 million over the cap this season and well into the luxury tax, according to Spotrac. Next year, they’ll have even less flexibility if they keep this group together, with Tatum scheduled for a pay raise of roughly $20 million.

They were able to run it back with the same group this year, but some tough decisions could lie ahead depending on how things go with the sale, on-court performance, and the balance sheet.

Has anyone else done enough to catch up?

The Celtics are, unsurprisingly, the favorites to win this year’s title.

However, several big offseason moves have been made within their division and beyond.

The Knicks, who finished second in the Eastern Conference standings last year, traded five 1st round picks to acquire Mikal Bridges – a three-and-D threat on the wing who is one season removed from averaging 26.1 points per game from the Brooklyn Nets. New York also added Karl-Anthony Towns, sending Julius Randle and Donte Divincenzo to Minnseota in a three-team trade.

Philadelphia bolstered their core by signing Paul George in the offseason to pair with all-star guard Tyrese Maxey and former league MVP Joel Embiid.

Dallas, whom the Celtics beat in the Finals, added Klay Thompson from Golden State.

Denver remains a threat with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Oklahoma City added size by signing Isaiah Hartenstein from the Knicks. Even though they were swept, Indiana played the Celtics as tough as anybody during last year’s playoffs.

How will Boston navigate another lengthy Porzingis absence?

Kristaps Porzingis said during Celtics media day that he is ahead of schedule in his rehab process. Brad Stevens said he was pleasantly by the progress Porzingis has made.

But, Porzingis will likely miss at least the first couple months of the season. He told ESPN that he hopes to be on the floor by December.

Al Horford, who is entering his 18th NBA season, is the Celtics’ top reserve big man. He came off the bench for the first time last season and averaged 26.8 minutes per game, the most on the team outside of the starting five.

But, with Horford’s age in consideration, the Celtics will need contributions from Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, and perhaps Neemias Queta as well.

Will Olympic snubs make Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum even stronger?

Jayson Tatum was benched twice during Team USA’s march to the Gold Medal this past summer.

Jaylen Brown, the reigning NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals MVP, was left off the team altogether.

Both of them have consistently added new aspects to their games over the past year.

Tatum reworked his jumpshot this summer after struggling during the playoffs and Olympics. Brown spoke last season about how his game reached another level when he began doing workouts in a pool.

Staying hungry after winning a title is not easy, but the Celtics’ top two players could have some extra motivation after the way things went down this summer.

What impact will the extra minutes have on Celtics older players?

Tatum and Brown are in their primes, but some of the other Celtics are beginning to get up there in age.

White turned 30 this summer. Holiday turned 34. Horford turned 38.

The Celtics’ lengthy playoff run tacked on extra minutes throughout the summer. Plus White, Holiday, and Tatum played in the Olympics.

This core is another year older and coming off an extended run featuring heavy minutes. The coaching staff handled load management well last season, and it will be a factor again this year.

Which young player will have the biggest impact?

The Celtics added a pair of 24-year-old rookies in Baylor Schierman and Anton Watson.

Both players are older than JD Davison and Jordan Walsh, whom the Celtics used sparingly last season. Both players helped the Maine Celtics reach the G-League Finals.

The Celtics also picked up Lonnie Walker IV, a 26-year-old veteran who has averaged 9.7 points over six NBA seasons.

The Celtics have plenty of depth throughout their roster, but it will be interesting if any of these players can emerge as a contributor.

Will Joe Mazzulla’s intensity bring the team closer – or backfire?

Joe Mazzulla does not shy away from the pressure of championship expectations.

He said told Boston Sports Journal’s John Karalis that he hopes the target is not on the Celtics’ collective backs this season, but right between their eyes.

He insists that the Celtics are not defending their title, but are instead in attack mode ready to chase the next one.

Mazzulla’s intense style worked last year. Now it’s time to see if it can work in the long run with sustained success.

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.