Photo: Peter Baba

Jayson Tatum’s father believes the Boston Celtics have fallen well behind the defending champion New York Knicks after their 2026 offseason overhaul.

Speaking on Ultimate Dads Unplugged, Justin Tatum said he expects the Knicks to repeat as NBA champions and delivered a blunt assessment of Boston’s current roster: “Realistically, I might say New York might run it back. Right now, the Celtics roster is sh*t.”

The comments come after a dramatic summer in Boston that ended the long-running partnership between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that brought Paul George and future draft capital to Boston, reshaping a team that finished 56-26 and won the Atlantic Division in 2025-26.

Brown was Boston’s leading scorer last season at 28.7 points per game, while adding 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He earned All-NBA Second Team and All-Star honors and finished sixth in MVP voting, making his departure the franchise’s biggest roster change.

Tatum played only 16 games in 2025-26, averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Boston still reached the playoffs but was eliminated by Philadelphia in seven games in the first round, despite winning three of the series’ first four contests.

The Celtics retained several key contributors from last season, including Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. Pritchard averaged 17.0 points and 5.2 assists in 79 games, while White posted 16.5 points, 5.4 assists and 1.3 blocks and earned All-Defensive First Team recognition.

Boston’s offseason additions also include George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley. The roster has therefore shifted from a Brown-Tatum-led core to one expected to revolve around Tatum alongside George, White and Pritchard.

Justin Tatum’s prediction, however, favors New York. The Knicks won the 2026 NBA championship by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the Finals after finishing the regular season 53-29 and third in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks also eliminated the Celtics’ new Eastern Conference rival Philadelphia in a four-game sweep during the conference semifinals before sweeping Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals.

For Boston, the 2026-27 season will determine whether the Brown trade represents a temporary retooling or a significant step backward. The Celtics remain built around Tatum, but replacing a player who produced 28.7 points per game while carrying a major two-way workload will be the central challenge of their new roster construction.