Mr. Shi refused to talk about the operation of the Celtics this summer and said bluntly that the ultimate goal is only the champion

This summer, perhaps no NBA team will face greater changes than the Celtics. With the defending champion being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs and core star Tatum suffered a severe injury to a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Celtics' reconstruction button seems to be pressed early.

As the top leader of the team's management, Brad Stevens, the president of Celtics basketball operations, was busy and moved within 72 hours after the team was eliminated. He knew that he would have a busy summer, and the expected and unexpected challenges were in front of him. Stevens admitted that he was not in a hurry to make decisions about the team's future.

"I know there will be a lot of questions next, but at the end of the day, it's always the same thing that drives us, 'How can we do to make the team a part of the championship group?' I think taking a deep breath and having a better night than the last three days will help us get a clearer idea," Stevens said at the Celtics' season summary conference. The total salary for the Celtics' existing roster is expected to be as high as $225 million next season, plus a luxury tax of nearly $280 million, the team's total spending next season is astronomical. And with Tatum likely missing a lot of games next season due to injury, it is unlikely that the new Celtics boss will be able to accept such huge expenses.

"The ultimate goal is to become a championship team, right? So when you have the opportunity, you have to do your best to make yourself better." Stevens said, "So we just need to decide the possibility of championship competition in any year and make corresponding decisions."

Stevens did not answer the specific question of how to operate. When asked whether the team's championship window will shrink under the existing labor-management agreement, the Celtics president said: "Good question, I don't know. I think in some specific situations, the challenge is obviously getting bigger."

In the eyes of many people, the Celtics' exit was due to some unfortunate objective factors. In addition to Tatum's serious Achilles tendon injury, Jaylen Brown was exposed to have his meniscus torn, while Porzingis has been fighting the disease caused by the mysterious virus. But Stevens doesn't want to use these as excuses.

"I would rather talk about labor agreements and nonsense." Stevens joked, "The reality is that we lost the first two games against the Knicks, which is why we put ourselves in a difficult situation. ... It's not anyone's responsibility, nor is it out of malice or a failure in decision making, bad luck, but we had the opportunity to take the first two home courts and put ourselves in a good position."

Talk about the injuries and future of Jaylen Brown and Porzingis, Stevens played Tai Chi: "They were an important part of us for a long time, and there is no doubt that they have achieved a lot of success and deserve those praises. Yes, they made us the best selves."

(text/Thai Fu)