Celtics roster outlook: Breaking down the guards
From Jaylen Brown to Derrick White, here's what the Celtics' guard situation looks like.
Welcome to Boston.com’s three-part Celtics roster series, where we look at how things went in 2025 and what lies ahead for 2026. This is part two, focused on the guards. Part one, which focused on the big men, can be found here. There will be a future post about the wings for part three.
Jaylen Brown
Contract status: Four years remaining. Scheduled to make $53.1 million next season.
Role: Starter
Notes on 2025: Brown played through a partially torn meniscus at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs. He had surgery and is expected to be ready for training camp in October.
Brown did not look as explosive as he was during the 2024 playoff run when he won NBA Finals MVP. He spoke about studying Celtic great Paul Pierce as he attempted to adjust his game. For the most part, he adapted well.
Brown made his fourth All-Star game and helped lead the Celtics to another 60-plus win season.
He had a solid series against the Magic and an uneven one against the Knicks. He had a dominant 26-point, 12-assist performance in the Game 5 win against New York. He had seven turnovers and fouled out in the third quarter against the Knicks in Game 7.
Outlook for 2026: It looks like the Celtics will be Brown’s team in 2026. He has spent most of his career playing alongside Jayson Tatum. Now that Tatum is hurt, Brown seems like an obvious choice as Boston’s go-to scoring option.
There is a chance that the Celtics could trade Brown, but they reportedly would prefer not to make such a move. Breaking up the Tatum-Brown core would be a shocker.
JD Davison
Contract status: Celtics have a one-year team option for 2026
Role: Reserve/Two-way player
Notes on 2025: Davison, the 2025 G-League MVP, has hit a point where there isn’t much more for him to prove in Maine. He become the Maine Celtics’ all-time leading scorer back in November and helped lead the team to back-to-back G-League conference finals appearances.
The question is: Do the Celtics believe he’s ready to contribute at the NBA level?
The Celtics converted Davison’s from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract in April, filling Boston’s last roster spot before the playoff run.
Davison is on the smaller side for a point guard at 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, but he has an explosive first step and leaping ability. He has been one of the G-League’s top playmakers for years. But, he’s a so-so 3-point shooter and he’ll have to prove that he can hang defensively in the NBA.
Outlook for 2026: According to Spotrac, the Celtics can bring Davison back on a 1-year $2.2 million team option if they choose. With Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jrue Holiday ahead of him, opportunities for minutes would be slim. If the Celtics decline the option, he’ll become a free-agent. It’s hard to imagine other teams wouldn’t be interested in seeing what the G-League MVP can do.
Jrue Holiday
Contract status: Three years remaining. Scheduled to make $32.4 million next season.
Role: Starter
Notes on 2025: This past season was Holiday’s lowest scoring output since he was a rookie 15 years ago. His 3-point percentage dropped from 42.9 in 2024 to 35.3 in 2025. It was a below-average year, by his standards, almost across the board in terms of points, assists, steals, blocks, and minutes.
Injuries played a role in that. He dealt with mallet finger on his left hand, and a hamstring strain caused him to miss the final three games of the playoff series against Orlando.
Age was a factor too. Holiday turned 35 last week.
Holiday still has a reputation as one of the best defenders in the league, and his versatility on that end of the floor is noteworthy. He defends a range of players from guards to big men and is remarkably consistent. He and Derrick White are one of the best backcourt tandems in the league, and defense is a big part of the reason why.
Outlook for 2026: Given his age and salary, Holiday’s name has been mentioned as a potential trade piece in numerous reports about the Celtics’ offseason plans. ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote that he is one of three players whose trade value the Celtics are focused on examining.
The acquisition of Holiday helped put the Celtics over the top and capture a championship in 2024. It’s not out of the question to think that there are other contenders who think Holiday could have a similar impact for them.
Payton Pritchard
Contract status: Three years remaining. Scheduled to make $7.2 million next season.
Role: Sixth Man
Notes on 2025: Pritchard took his game to another level this season, averaging a career-high 14.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range.
He emerged as one of the NBA’s premier bench scorers and took home the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Pritchard has been durable. He has only missed two games over the last two seasons. A small guard, but a scrappy one who has a knack for sinking halfcourt heaves.
He struggled against the lengthy Magic in round one, but bounced back against the Knicks in round two.
Outlook for 2026: Pritchard’s deal is a bargain. He’s signed for short money with several years left on the deal. He might have to take on an even bigger role depending on what happens with Holiday.
Jordan Walsh
Contract status: Two years remaining. Scheduled to make $2.2 million next season.
Role: Reserve/two-way player
Notes on 2025: Walsh spent more time with Boston this season than last year, but was unable to break into the rotation.
He averaged 7.8 minutes per game with the Boston Celtics, and only played in one game with the Maine Celtics. He played just three minutes during the playoffs.
He scored 20 points, shot 3-for-6 from 3-point range, and had a pair of steals in the game he spent with Maine.
At 21-years-old, Walsh is still one of the Celtics’ youngest prospects. He brings length and athleticism on the defensive end. His offensive game is a work in progress.
Ultimately, there weren’t many opportunities to get an extended look at him this year.
Outlook for 2026: Walsh still has a couple of years left on his deal and it won’t cost much to keep him around. He’s young enough that there’s still time to show improvement in his game.
Derrick White
Contract status: Four years remaining. Scheduled to make $28 million next season.
Role: Starter
Notes on 2025: White broke the Celtics’ single-season (265) record for made 3-pointers this season.
He was dependable on both ends of the floor. He turned in one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks.
He had a scorching start to the season in October and November, cooled off in December in January, and picked right back up again down the stretch leading into the playoffs.
He played well enough to be in the All-Star conversation, but ultimately didn’t make the cut.
Outlook for 2026: The Celtics reportedly prefer not to move White. He probably has some high-level basketball left in him for a few more seasons. He turns 31 in July. His contract is a reasonable one for a player of his caliber. There’s a chance that Jayson Tatum could miss significant time next season, and White will likely be one of the main options to help pick up the scoring slack.
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