jayson tatum celtics injury recovery
Al Bello/Getty
Jayson Tatum was at Chris Paul's camp in Las Vegas in July 2025 as he recovers a season-ending Achilles tear.
The Boston Celtics have remained one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference despite the absence of superstar forward Jayson Tatum, who has been working his way back form a torn Achilles.
After Tatum went down with the Achilles injury last year in the playoffs against the New York Knicks, many expected that he would be out for the entire 2025-26 NBA season. With that expectation, the Celtics were viewed as a team likely headed for a gap year.
During the offseason, Boston traded away both star big man Kristaps Porzingis and point guard Jrue Holiday. Those moves also tempered expectations for the Celtics this season.
Despite the adversity, Boston has thrived. Right now just ahead of the All-Star break, the Celtics hold a 34-18 record, which is good enough for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Ahead of the All-Star break, Boston has received more news about Tatum’s recovery.
Boston Celtics Receive Fresh Jayson Tatum Injury News
According to a report from ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, Tatum has progressed to participating in controlled 5-on-5 scrimmaging against Celtics coaches. There is still no firm timeline for Tatum’s return to the court, but this is big news for Boston.
Shams Charania
Reporting for ABC NBA Countdown — the latest on Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s rehab:
Tatum has motivated to get back on the court this season. If he can make that goal turn into a reality, Boston would become a much more serious NBA Finals contender.
Granted, it would be unwise to expect Tatum to return to being the player he was before the injury occurred. Rather, it would be more likely that he would play a much lesser role.
Even in a reduced role, Tatum would be a big addition to the current Celtics roster. He could provide more scoring and shooting. While he may not be a go-to guy, Boston already has that in Jaylen Brown, who has been putting together a career season.
Can the Celtics Compete for an NBA Finals Run?
At the end of the day, the Eastern Conference is still wide open. With the Celtics currently being the second-best team in the conference, they clearly have a chance.
Brown has been playing on another level this season. He has appeared in 47 games and has averaged 29.5 points per game to go along with seven rebounds, 4.7 assists, and a steal, while also shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three-point range.
Boston has also seen the supporting cast step up around Brown. Derrick White has averaged 17.4 points, Payton Pritchard has chipped in 17.3 points, and the team also recently acquired Nikola Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls before the trade deadline.
A Tatum return could be the icing on the cake that puts the Celtics in realistic championship contention. They might already be a team that could win the NBA Finals, but bringing Tatum back would further those chances dramatically.