jayson tatum comeback nba flex
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Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics looks on from the bench against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at State Farm Arena on January 17, 2026.
The ghost of Jayson Tatum looms large over the 2026 NBA All-Star weekend.
The Celtics star, unable yet to take the court this season after rupturing his right Achilles’ tendon in last year’s playoffs, is perhaps a hotter topic now than in the six previous Star Games in which he played.
That’s because of the “yet” in the previous paragraph.
The question of whether Tatum will play this season has created a seemingly irresistible mystery for basketball detectives to solve. Will he get on the court with the Celts this year? And, if so, when? And how will he mesh with the club that was supposed to be in a gap year but has pummeled prognosticators by hooping its way to the second seed in the East with 28 games left?
An absolutely innocent social media post on Twitter/X and Bluesky noting that the Celtic home game against Philadelphia on March 1 had been flexed from 6 p.m. to 8 and would now be televised by NBC set off a storm of speculation regarding the possibility it would be Tatum’s first game back. My post on X (@SteveBHoop) didn’t even mention his name, and, honestly, I wasn’t even thinking about him when I put fingers to keys. My intent was only to let Celtic followers know of a time change so they could plan accordingly.
Steve Bulpett
From the league: the Celtics’ home game versus Philadelphia on Sunday, March 1st has been moved from 6 pm to 8 and will now be televised by NBC.
Boy, did I not read the floor on that one. As of Sunday morning, the note had hit 1.2 million views on X, with comments and quote tweets and debates aplenty. (Left out of the post was the corollary move of demoting the OKC-Dallas game from the national broadcast window, but, again, my mind was simply on getting fans to TD Garden and in front of their TVs at the proper time.)
Out in California, Tatum was a talking point during interviews and, according to sources who’ve spoken to Heavy, among the players in less public settings.
Jaylen Brown, the Celtics Lone All-Star, Said of Jayson Tatum’s Possible Return: ‘He Looks Pretty Damn Good’
Jaylen Brown, the only Celtic in the Sunday game, was asked about his running mate and if he’d been there for Tatum’s recent five-on-five session with the club’s G-League affiliate.
“I didn’t get to watch that one,” Brown said from his media day perch. “But I’ve seen some previous to that, and he looked good, to be honest. He looks like he’s progressing along. He’s checking off all the right boxes.
“Obviously he needs to take his time to mentally, spiritually, emotionally make sure everything feels right before he makes any decisions. In terms of what I’ve seen, he looks pretty damn good.”
That last line could also apply to Brown, who has elevated his game mightily after becoming the top dawg in the rotation. As for questions about how he and Tatum will fit whenever the return happens, Brown said, “I mean, those conversations have been from since we got drafted pretty much. So in any human relationship, in any type of team, there’s always going to be some stuff that you have to work on and improve and work through.
“But in terms of winning, me and him both have done that at a high level for a very long time. So I’m looking forward to that.”
The Tatum mystery isn’t just an intramural matter. The teams just ahead and behind the Celtics may also be bracing for impact.
“Yeah, I mean, obviously he’s a Hall of Fame-type player, so he’s going to definitely help them a lot,” said Cade Cunningham, star of the East-leading Pistons. “But you know, we’re just going to run our race. We like where we’re at, and we’re going to continue to try to finish our season strong.”
Jalen Brunson & Kevin Durant Sound Off on Jayson Tatum’s Comeback
Knicks alpha Jalen Brunson also got the Tatum question.
“Obviously seeing him go down last year, it sucks to see,” said Brunson, there when Tatum went down on the Madison Square Garden stage. “You never want to see that from anyone in any sport.
“The fact that he’s worked so hard to get where he is and is preparing a comeback is a testament to who he is. Basketball fans are definitely excited to see his comeback.”
The Knicks may not be as excited if Kevin Durant, who knows more than he’d like about Achilles injuries, is correct in his Tatum forecast.
“I expect to see All-Star level play and the same Jayson Tatum we’ve seen before he was injured,” Durant told reporters. “Usually around this time you’re playing a lot of five-on-five, playing against live bodies, just trying to get your rhythm and tempo back. So I’m looking forward to seeing him get out there with his team.”
Asked about a key last challenge for Tatum to answer, Durant said,
“I wouldn’t say it’s a final hurdle. It’s just, like I said, playing five-on-five, getting up and down the floor, getting your conditioning right and doing that consistently in the last phase is key to you stepping into the game, having an easier transition once you step into a game.
“I’m sure he’s out there playing every day one-on-ones, two-on-twos, five-on-fives, trying to get his rhythm.”
Such is the process of going from ghost back to Goliath. Until Tatum returns to the latter, the speculation will continue.