Celtics Left Off 2025-26 NBA Christmas Schedule Amid Player Departures

BOSTON, Mass. — The Boston Celtics will not appear on the NBA Christmas Day schedule for the 2025-26 season, a surprising development for a team that has regularly been featured during the holiday. Sources informed ESPN‘s Shams Charania that the Celtics have been excluded from the anticipated slate.

The exclusion comes as the Celtics will be without six-time All-Star power forward Jayson Tatum, who is recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture. While Tatum has not been ruled out for the entirety of the season, his recovery raises concerns for the team’s performance.

Team president and general manager Brad Stevens made significant roster changes this summer to save money. He traded away two key players, six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday and one-time All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis, in separate deals. Additionally, forward Georges Niang, acquired in the Porzingis trade, was sent to the Utah Jazz, along with two second-round draft picks, for two-way player RJ Luis Jr.

Stevens may also lose reserve big man Al Horford, who remains a free agent and is reportedly considering a contract with the Golden State Warriors. Furthermore, third-string center Luke Kornet signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, while deep-bench point guard JD Davison was waived.

As a result of these moves, the Celtics have fallen significantly below the league’s second luxury tax apron, which serves as a hard cap. Stevens’s current strategy seems focused on financial savings, particularly in light of the upcoming ownership transition to new billionaire owner William Chisholm.

This marks the first time since 2015 that the Celtics have not made the Christmas Day schedule. Typically, the NBA showcases its strongest teams and players on this date, making the absence of the Celtics notable. The decision is viewed as a slight to the team’s stars, including Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. It also reflects a shift in the Eastern Conference hierarchy, with only the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers expected to be featured, likely due to health issues affecting Boston and the Indiana Pacers.