When the Celtics kick off their title defense this fall, they will do so without a key member of their rotation.
The team announced on Thursday that Kristaps Porzingis will be sidelined for five to six months after undergoing successful surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon.
The injury forced Porzingis to miss Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Despite being available for Game 4, he did not play. In the Game 5 closeout, Porzingis played 16 minutes, finishing with five points and one rebound.
This timeline suggests Porzingis could potentially return around Christmas, but it is too early to know for certain, especially given how cautiously the Celtics manage his health.
Boston was 21-4 without Porzingis in the regular season and 10-2 in the postseason. Although Porzingis undoubtedly elevates the Celtics’ play, they have proven they can win without him. However, his lengthy recovery period should undoubtedly impact Boston’s offseason approach.
Currently, the only big under contract on Boston’s roster other than Porzingis is Al Horford. Neemias Queta has a team option, which the Celtics could exercise to bring back the soon-to-be 25-year-old big man for $2.2 million. Meanwhile, Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman are both unrestricted free agents.
Boston is looking at anywhere between roughly 20 and 30 games without Porzingis. The 38-year-old Horford does not play in back-to-backs, and the Celtics will look to do all they can to keep him fresh for an 82+ game season.
Needless to say, resigning Kornet or Tillman just got a lot more important. Theoretically, Boston could bring back both, but that could get rather expensive. It’s worth noting that the Celtics have Bird Rights with both Tillman and Kornet, meaning they won’t face the same cap restrictions as with external free agents.
As a second-apron team, the Celtics can only add players on veteran minimum deals, limiting their flexibility in bolstering the roster. On Wednesday night, Boston opted not to add a big man with the 30th overall pick, as Brad Stevens and the Celtics selected sharpshooting wing Baylor Scheierman instead.
Other than the extensions of Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and potentially Sam Hauser, the Celtics’ priority should be frontcourt depth, and that likely starts with trying to retain Tillman and Kornet.
Should they need to look externally, the opportunity to compete and play potentially significant minutes on a title favorite could entice veteran players in free agency, albeit at minimum contract terms.
“We have the opportunity to tweak our team all the way up until February. Last year, we ended up doing it in June and October, and then there wasn’t as much to do once we got to February,” Brad Stevens said earlier this week. “We have an opportunity over the next six months to figure that part out.”
Given the lengthy timeline, a frontcourt move before training camp seems inevitable.
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