The Boston Celtics are the defending NBA champions, and while they have had some problems with their overall consistency, they appear to have as good a chance as any team in recent memory of repeating their success in the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Celtics earned the title last year by beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games to clinch the championship. They were able to control Luka Doncic’s offensive production in that series and they exploited him defensively. With the huge trade between the Lakers and the Mavs that saw Doncic traded to Los Angeles while Anthony Davis moved to Dallas, it seems likely that Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla would have multiple concerns.

That would not be the case. Mazzulla is not concerned with the trade that shocked the basketball world and clearly ranks with the biggest trades the sport has ever seen. He doesn’t see the deal as anything that concerns the Celtics and his reaction was quite cold. “Don’t ask about the trades. I don’t really care,” Mazzulla said.

Perhaps Mazzulla wanted to send a message to his team since the Celtics have a Sunday evening game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics (34-15) are 11.5-point favorites over the 76ers (19-28) and he is clearly focused on leading his team to a road victory over one of the Celtics’ traditional rivals. He wants his players to share the same focus on the task at hand and not worry about a trade between two Western Conference teams.

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

While Mazzulla had no immediate reaction to the shocking trade, it is something that will cross his team’s path in the upcoming week.

After Boston’s meeting with the Sixers, the Celtics will go on the road for a huge confrontation with the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday night. Their following game after facing the Cavs is a Thursday night home game against the Mavs. Both games are scheduled to be broadcast nationally by TNT.

Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris were traded to the Lakers, while Davis and Max Christie are now members of the Mavericks. The Utah Jazz are the third team involved in the trade and that team receives Jalen Hood-Schifino and two draft picks.

The Celtics have played rather ordinary basketball by the standards set a year ago when they had the best record in the regular season before they cruised to their 18th NBA championship, which is one more than the Lakers. The Celtics have won 5 of their last 7 games, so they may be in the process of turning things around.