The Boston Celtics are looking to get back to regaining their status as Eastern Conference and NBA championship contenders this season. The Celtics were able to manage the majority of the season without franchise superstar Jayson Tatum, and finished the regular season with a 56-26 record and the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, Boston was unable to parlay that regular season success into the playoffs and blew a 3-1 lead and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by its archrivals, the Philadelphia 76ers. This offseason, the Celtics quieted months (arguably years) of trade rumors by trading their decade-long-tenured wing and former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to, surprisingly, the 76ers. The trade netted Boston four NBA Draft picks (2028 first-round, 2031 first-round, 2028 second-round and 2030 second-round) as well as 18-season NBA veteran Paul George. George has been one of the best two-way players in basketball since being selected 10th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2010 NBA Draft. But, the 36-year-old has also dealt with injuries the past two years with Philadelphia. George didn't play more than 41 games in either of his pair of seasons with the 76ers and has played in less than 60 games five of the past six seasons. The one-time All-NBA first-team selection reaffirmed his commitment and dedication to his new team in a YouTube video shared on Boston's official channel Sunday. Former Celtics head coach and current president of basketball operations Brad Stevens also had kind words for the new addition in the same video. "Paul's a really good player. He's been a really good player for a long time," Stevens said in the video. "He's one of the more impactful players with regard to winning, even as he's aged in the NBA. ... We just think he's a good fit for how we play and I think the other part about Paul is he's very smart. ... He has a good feel for the game, he's got a good savvy to him about the game and I think that fits in with the rest of our lineup."
Paul George on joining the Celtics when he first visited the facility: “I’m gonna give y’all everything.” “It’s surreal. I’m ecstatic. I’m looking forward to the journey. I’m looking forward to wearing that green and representing for Boston.” (Via @celtics on YouTube) pic.twitter.com/7sLT0fG7jh — Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) August 16, 2026 Since being drafted in 2010, George has been a fixture in the NBA and is often one of the more consistent performers. He's been named an All-Star nine times (2013-14, 2016-19, 2021, 2023-24), been named to the NBA's All-Defensive teams four times (two first-team, two second-team) and is a six-time All-NBA selection (first-team once, third-team five times).