The Boston Celtics have emerged as a surprise contender for the NBA title despite trading away key pieces from their 2024 championship roster, according to verified reports from French international news outlets France 24 and RFI published on April 17, 2026.
The Celtics, who dealt Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and saw Al Horford depart in free agency during the summer of 2025, finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 56-26 record fine for second place in the Eastern Conference, France 24 reported.
This performance has been attributed to the impact of Jayson Tatum’s return from an Achilles tendon injury that sidelined him for much of the 2024-25 season, a development highlighted in both France 24 and RFI’s coverage titled “Thunder, Celtics, Nuggets, Pistons y Spurs, los favoritos al título de la NBA.”
Tatum’s comeback was previously detailed by El País in a March 7, 2026 report describing his return to Madison Square Garden after a 298-day recovery process, during which he worked extensively in rehabilitation following the injury that occurred ten months prior.
According to El País, Tatum contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes of play in a 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks upon his return, shooting 6-for-18 from the field and 3-for-8 from three-point range.
The forward acknowledged the long road ahead after the game, stating through El País: “Still have a long way to travel,” even as expressing gratitude for the moment: “I’ve been waiting a long time for this. Days and nights dreaming of this, thinking about the atmosphere and the stands.”
France 24 and RFI both noted that despite losing three core members of their title-winning team, the Celtics surprised analysts by securing a high seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, positioning themselves among the league’s elite contenders.
The same reports identified the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs as the other teams joining Boston as primary favorites to win the 2026 NBA championship.
No further specifics regarding the records, recent performances or key players of the Thunder, Nuggets, Pistons or Spurs were provided in the verified sources consulted for this article.
The Celtics’ ability to maintain elite competitiveness despite significant roster turnover underscores the depth of their organization and the resilience of their star player as the NBA playoffs approach.
Fans seeking real-time updates on the Celtics’ playoff positioning and Tatum’s ongoing recovery progression are encouraged to follow official team communications and league announcements as the postseason unfolds.
