ESPN’s NBA Future Power Rankings Showcase Celtics’ Enviable Situation

The Boston Celtics’ championship window is wide open.

Not only do the Celtics have arguably the NBA’s most talented roster ahead of the 2023-24 season. They also have a strong foundation — led, of course, by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — that should enable Boston to remain in title contention for the next several years.

ESPN reinforced this notion Wednesday when it released its annual NBA future power rankings, a projection of the on-court success expected for each team over the next three seasons. The Celtics ranked No. 1.

“Despite ranking in the top three seven times in FPR, including No. 3 a year ago, this is the first time the Celtics have reached the top spot in the 14-year history of the exercise,” ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wrote. “Boston topped the field in the players category, outweighing the second-lowest score in future flexibility after Jaylen Brown signed a supermax extension and Jayson Tatum becomes eligible for one next summer. Eventually, the NBA’s new restrictions on tax-paying teams could break up the Celtics’ core, but not before multiple runs at bringing an 18th championship to Boston.”

Pelton and fellow ESPN analysts Bobby Marks, Andre Snellings and Tim Bontemps determined the future power rankings by rating teams in five categories — players, management, money, market and draft — and ranking them relative to the rest of the NBA.

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Here’s where Boston ranked in each category:

Players: 1
Management: 4
Money: 29
Market: 7
Draft: 18

The Celtics edged the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, who earned the No. 2 spot, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who jumped 20 spots from last season to No. 3 thanks to a surplus of young talent, draft picks and salary cap space. The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors rounded out the top five.

Of course, these rankings don’t mean anything if the Celtics can’t make good on their potential. They’ve been among the NBA’s best teams for several years now but still are looking to get over the hump for Banner 18.

Perhaps an offseason shakeup that included trades for Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis will be exactly what the doctor ordered in Boston.