While the New York Knicks may have knocked off the Boston Celtics in the 2025 playoffs, the team’s recent roster shakeup was already well underway before that series took place.
Heading into the new NBA season, Boston faced a massive financial reality check. Jayson Tatum had gone down with a brutal Achilles injury during the playoffs, and keeping their championship core together would have sent the team’s wage bill over $500 million.
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But after the deals went down, Knicks fans started claiming their playoff win had dismantled the Celtics, drawing comparisons to the last time the two teams met in the postseason back in 2013.
Boston Celtics fans hit back at the claims the New York Knicks ended their title team
The suggestion from Knicks fans didn’t land well in Boston. One Celtics supporter fired back, “Taking credit for the CBA and Tatum’s Achilles injury… I guess this helps Knicks fans cope with the fact that they haven’t won a title in 53 years.”
Others pointed out that the salary cap was the bigger issue. “If the Celtics kept their current roster they’d be hit with a 238 million dollar tax bill, but yeah somehow the Knicks have something to do with our tax bill,” another fan replied.
Some Celtics fans kept it simple, reminding the Knicks of Boston’s recent success. “We’re really celebrating this? How many chips have they won in that time? And how many have we?”
Others took a shot at New York’s championship drought, with one fan simply saying, “Hang the Banner, there’s a lot of space up there.”
Brad Stevens isn’t done making moves for the Celtics
Despite already making major trades, Brad Stevens may not be finished. Derrick White and Jaylen Brown have reportedly drawn interest from other teams, and the Celtics could look to trim even more salary given Tatum’s extension and Simons’ new deal.
There’s a chance White or Brown could be moved before the season, especially if Boston decides to lean even harder into financial flexibility under the new league rules.
But framing the Celtics’ changes as a reaction to a single playoff series doesn’t capture the full story. Financial realities and multiple injuries played a much bigger role, even if the Knicks did add another chapter to an old rivalry along the way.
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