Jayson Tatum is working his way back to the Boston Celtics' lineup.
Will that occur during the 2025-2026 NBA season? The star forward hasn't confirmed his status for the season just yet.
For the time being, Tatum is focused on the recovery process from his torn Achilles. On Tuesday, the veteran forward posted a milestone message to social media, highlighting just how far he's come.
"40 weeks," Tatum wrote with a praying hands emoji. "I've really grown to appreciate this journey I've been on and allow time for me to pat myself on the back for showing up every day!"
Generally credited with great health, Tatum found himself in an unfamiliar situation this season. After he cleared 70 games for the sixth time in his career (fourth year in a row), Tatum got injured during the Celtics' second-round series against the New York Knicks. The following season immediately came into question for the 27-year-old.
At the start of the NBA season, Tatum seemed convinced he would be back in time for a playoff push. The Celtics were believed to be in a gap year, but had a chance to still be competitive enough to fight for a playoff spot. It turns out, they remain one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, even without the MVP-caliber Tatum on the floor.
Lately, some doubt about returning might've crept in for Tatum. As he sees the Celtics sitting second in the Eastern Conference with a 35-19 record, Tatum isn't exactly sure about how much the team's dynamic could change if and when he re-enters the picture. Plus, the wisest move for Tatum is to ensure he's one-hundred percent before returning to the court.
Recently, the veteran forward returned to the practice court, taking another step in his recovery. When he addressed reporters, Tatum made it clear that no final decision about his status for this season has been made.
"Over 39 weeks, you have a lot of time on your hands [to think]," Tatum told reporters.
"You think about a lot of things. Just hyper aware of what's going on. I think it would just stem from that. Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and bring to the team. But I'm also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well. And, not to say that I would come and mess it up or anything like that. It was just kind of being vulnerable, I guess, for a moment."
Despite the assumptions about the impact that Tatum would have-positively or negatively-the Celtics have had him in the picture long enough to know that he makes them a better team. When healthy, Tatum is steadily viewed as an MVP contender. He helped them close out a championship run just two years back.
Tatum has time to figure it out, but for the time being, he continues to embrace the process of getting back to one-hundred percent.
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