Celtics Mailbag: Will standout rookie start losing minutes?

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Celtics Mailbag: Will standout rookie start losing minutes?

Brian Robb · MassLive

Fri, Mar 6, 2026 ·

4 min read

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The Celtics are officially entering a new chapter of their season this weekend, with Jayson Tatum expected to return to the court. His impressive recovery will lead to plenty of intriguing choices for Joe Mazzulla in the days and weeks to come, so let’s cover some of them along with some roster options in this week’s mailbag.

Hey B Robb any buy out candidates to add to the roster on a ten day deal before the playoffs or roll with the two ways ? — Carlo C

There were no surprise buyouts before the March 1 deadline, as many veterans are holding onto their Bird Rights knowing that it’s going to be tough to get a good deal elsewhere in free agency without them. With that said, the Celtics will eventually need to add another ball handler and they will probably eventually fill three roster spots. Two of them are likely to go to two-way guard Max Shulga and Ron Harper Jr. in my mind. Shulga is a virtual lock due to his low cap hit as a draft pick and Harper Jr. has been a proven contributor this year. The team will most likely try to tack on a year or two to his contract, is my guess.

The final spot is the most intriguing one. An experienced ball hander for depth is a need and Boston already brought in Dalano Banton for one 10-day contract. It’s very possible they bring him back for a full year deal eventually. Other prominent names on the open market among guards include Lonzo Ball and Cole Anthony but Brad Stevens has always been a fan of continuity and not rocking the boat with late-season roster additions. Banton would fit the bill on that front.

Which aspect of Tatum’s game will be most impacted by his injury, taking longer to recover? Perhaps first step penetration? — Matt

Based on watching other guys coming back from Achilles, it may end up being vertical lift. I know Kevin Durant referenced how tough it was to get up as much on his long 3-point jumpers initially. Tatum has certainly done the work and he’s still very much in his athletic prime so the good news is his chances of getting back to where he started are better than most guys. It should become apparent pretty quickly within the first week where Tatum is behind physically, especially as Boston goes up against top notch defenses like the Thunder and Spurs next week.

What player could lose the most minutes with the return of Jayson Tatum — Luke

The minutes situation will be a fascinating thing to watch Joe Mazzulla manage out of the gate. He’s been playing nine for 10 guys all year long without Tatum so the question now is if Baylor Scheierman moves to the bench, will Jordan Walsh or Hugo Gonzalez be the odd man out for minutes. It’s hard to envision all three of those guys getting meaningful time on a nightly basis if the rest of the roster is healthy. Gonzalez may be the most inexperienced of the bunch but I think the Celtics success with him on the court all year long should protect him over a guy like Jordan Walsh. Certain matchups may call for Mazzulla to lean on certain players but Gonzalez has the upside that makes him a lock to play in my mind, at least in the regular season. Look for Walsh and Ron Harper Jr. to take the biggest minutes hit.

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