Like the injury of Tyrese Haliburton, Kevin Durant Commercial Impact Celtics – NBC Sports Boston

The 370 -day kingdom of the Boston Celtics while the NBA champions ended on Sunday. But even before the Oklahoma City Thunder exceeded the Indian Pacers in the game 7 of the 2025 finals, the NBA delivered a last day absolutely that will have lasting repercussions in the championship as a whole.

Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant in the hope of chasing the new champions. The pars lost Tyrese Hailburton due to an Achille injury that could potentially put it around for the entire 2025-26 season.

How did the wild day of the NBA affect the Celtics? Let’s digest everything:

East feels even more wide open

You can’t help but try the pacer. Not only have they endured a fist of a stomach of a Game 7 defeat against the Thunder – a close match that was opened in the second half while Indy fought with the safety of the ball in the absence of Haliburton – but the injury to the stellar guard now complicates their path to return to the championship phase.

Over two months, Haliburton, Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard have undergone Achille injuries. The Pacers, Bucks and Celtics represented the Eastern Conference in four of the last five NBA finals. If the conference felt open before Game 7, it seems particularly relaxed while we wait for the League calendar to be officially reversed.

Every single qualified for playoffs in the East last season should seem that the conference can win next season. Part of that trust will depend on the way the rosters shake this summer, but also the trio of teams that have lost the stars due to Achilles’ injuries can still compete given the state of the conference.

The magic has already been loaded with the addition of Desmond Bane. The pistons still have space for a large swing. The knights are bringing in order to an early exit after dominating the conference. The Knicks still need a coach but are coming out of the deep journey to the east finals.

The east could be very funny next season despite some star absences.

Kevin O’Connor explains why Celtics are still the most positioned team in the East in the next three years, despite Jayson’s injury.

Another shoe to fall into Durant’s trade?

The Rockets have acquired 15 times all-star Kevin Durant by the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, choice n. 10 In the NBA draft this year and five choices of the second round.

On the one hand, it is a solid radius for a 37 -year -old player who has not been out of the second round of the playoffs since Golden State won consecutive titles in 2018 and 2019. But Houston has maintained much of his nucleus and is positioned to build the finish line no. 2 last year in the West.

The great takeaways from the point of view of Celtics:

1. Durant remained out to the west, a relief in the event that a long -term suitor such as pistons or birds of prey emerged.
2. Suns have yet to decide if Green is part of their future, and there may be further wheels and treat as part of this exchange which will not be aimed until the new year of the championship on July 6. The Celtics have the motivation to try to download money if they manage to move in the relationships of other teams (even if there are no obvious paths in this current deal).

Chasing thunder

The thunder are samples of the NBA. The Massachusetts can take a small piece of the credit given all the local ties with the Thunder Brain Trust in General Manager Sam Presti (Concord), the assistant GM Rob Hennigan (Wocester) and the coach head Mark Daigneault (Leominster).

The greatest concern for the Celtics and for the rest of the NBA is the way in which OKC is set for a race supported as a threat of the title. While the teams hurry to cut money and obtain their finances in order, the Thunders have the activities and financial flexibility of continuing to add to their title team. Or they can simply ride it with the current core, which should only improve over time.

Of course, the last two months have shown that injuries are the last joker for any NBA season. No year goes exactly to the script. The Celtics should have been on the title phase at the end of the 2024-25 season, but things have changed quickly.

However, since the teams begin to build their lists for the new season, all moves are meditated against the background of how teams can compete with the thunder that goes on.