The Boston Celtics' roster looks different now than when Jayson Tatum left for the Tokyo Olympics.
Tristan Thompson and Evan Fournier are among those departing, while Josh Richardson and Kris Dunn are among those arriving, and it's unclear what else former Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has up his sleeve while navigating his first offseason as Boston's president of basketball operations.
So, what does Tatum think about the continued efforts to revamp the roster after a season in which the Celtics underachieved?
"You always hate to see guys leave, especially guys you build a relationship with," Tatum said Tuesday, according to The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, after helping Team USA defeat Spain. "I guess that's the nature of it. As a player all you can do is show up for training camp and whoever is there is there and get ready to play."
The Celtics entered the offseason with limited financial flexibility relative to some other teams across the league, so it's entirely possible Boston won't do its heavy lifting -- i.e. land a third star to put alongside Tatum and Jaylen Brown -- until next offseason.
Obviously, that's a gamble -- a lot can change in a year and a bridge season is less than ideal while trying to maximize your window of opportunity with the Tatum/Brown duo -- but Stevens certainly seems to be positioning the Celtics for more aggressive wheeling and dealing down the road.
Nevertheless, it's hard to look at the Celtics' roster right now and think they're capable of representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals during the 2021-22 season. The Milwaukee Bucks are well equipped to defend their crown, the Brooklyn Nets remain loaded and the Miami Heat could be a problem with Kyle Lowry joining the mix. Tatum and Co. might have to be patient.
Then again, if Tatum and Brown take another step forward in the upcoming campaign, continuing their respective ascents toward becoming NBA superstars, it'll matter a little bit less about who's around them.
