There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Boston Celtics after the team's bid for a championship repeat came up well short. But adding to the franchise's collection of banners will remain the guiding light for Celtics president of basketball ops. Brad Stevens.

Whether that will be possible in 2025-26 or not remains to be seen. Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury, which will likely sideline Boston's superstar for the upcoming season, will certainly throw a wrench into Stevens' plans for next year. As a repeat second apron team, the Celtics are facing not only a massive luxury tax bill but severe penalties going forward.

But Tatum's injury could give Boston a chance at a soft reset next season. It could give Stevens an opportunity to clean off some of the big salaries on the books and reset for Tatum's return the following season, while saving the new ownership group a lot of money for a season that likely won't end with a title.

Stevens held his end-of-season press conference with reporters on Monday, and said a road map is still being charted out for the summer ahead. But he remains committed to making sure the Celtics are in the best possible position to compete for championships now and going forward.

"I know there will be a lot of questions about what's next, but I'll probably talk more about that at the draft time after meeting with all the key stakeholders about what the next steps might be. That will all be driven by the same thing that has always driven us; how do we get ourselves in the mix to compete for championships the best," said Stevens. "We'll have more clarity as we take a deep breath and get some more sleep than we've gotten the last three nights and figure out how to be the best versions of ourselves going forward.

"We have a bunch of really good players. They're under contract and we want to look at everything we have here, and try to be the best version of ourselves," added Stevens.

The Celtics may have to take a bit of a step back before they take a step forward. That could include trimming the big salaries of veterans Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis this summer and relying on younger, more cost-effective options to fill the void next season. Chances are Jaylen Brown and Derrick White won't be going anywhere, but the Celtics might explore every avenue this offseason.

"The North Star is to have a championship contender. You have to do what is best to give yourself the best opportunity to do that, when you can do that," Stevens said Monday. "We have to figure out how feasible that is in any given year, and make sure we're making the decisions accordingly. We have a lot of good players and are in a unique situation with them all under contract. There are several basketball penalties that come with that amount of salary, and we have to weigh that all and make those decisions.

While Stevens is well aware of the looming penalties for being a repeat offender in the CBA, he wouldn't let those keep the Celtics from competing for a championship.

"I never put a ceiling on a group of players. Some years you put a group together you think has a better chance than others, but we'll see how it all looks. My goal will always be to try to best position us to complete for championships," he said.

"In Brad We Trust" has become a common phrase among Celtics fans since Stevens moved to the front office. He's got some interesting work ahead as he tries to get the best of both worlds in what should be a fascinating offseason for the Boston Celtics. 

Like many who follow the team, Stevens didn't really want to look back on Boston's six-game ousting by the New York Knicks.

"I'd rather talk about all the CBA and all that crap," joked Stevens. 

The Celtics owned the Knicks during the regular season and won all four meetings, including three in blowout fashion. But Stevens said the Celtics lost their playoff showdown when they blew Games 1 and 2 at TD Garden, despite holding a 20-point second-half lead in both contests.

"Listen, the reality is we blew the first two games. That is why we put ourselves in a tough spot," said Stevens. "I realize, and we all realize, these games go fast. But we had our opportunities. Yes, you can win when you're down 2-0, but you diminish your margin for error."

Stevens said losing the series doesn't fall on any one person or player. The Celtics win as a team and lose as a team.

"We had opportunity to win those first two home games and we put ourselves behind the 8-ball. New York came with not only confidence and momentum; they are peaking and you can see it," added Stevens. "Credit to New York for the way they played and the way they came back in those two games, specifically."