Brad Stevens Offers Disappointing Kristaps Porzingis Update

The Celtics front office quickly transitions into the offseason after the team clinched Banner 18, and there will be a different look to Joe Mazzulla’s side at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Kristaps Porzingis will have surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon that he suffered in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Boston on Tuesday didn’t provide a timeline for the big man’s return, but it will mean he will miss Latvia’s Olympic campaign.

Porzingis pushed through his injury in Game 5 to help the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks, and he confirmed he would need “a few months” to recover.

President of basketball operations Brad Stevens was on “The Ryen Russillo Podcast” this week where he confirmed that Porzingis would at least miss the start of the season. Stevens did not confirm a return date for the veteran forward.

That shouldn’t surprise Celtics fans given how the injury was discussed. And the state of Boston’s roster means Porzingis won’t have to rush back to a return. It does add intrigue for Stevens and his staff with the 2024 NBA Draft starting Wednesday and free agency beginning next month.