The Boston Celtics have spent the best part of the last year trimming their cap sheet. Brad Stevens parted ways with Al Horford and Luke Kornet via free agency. He traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. In their place, Stevens added a group of young, unproven talents.
After another flurry of trades at the Feb. 5 deadline, Stevens achieved his goal of getting Boston under the luxury tax. However, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus noted that the riskiest part of the team’s cap sheet is still on the roster.
“Tatum's unfortunate Achilles injury illustrates how serious, and potentially fleeting, a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar investment in any athlete can be,” Pincus wrote. “Fortunately, Tatum has (almost shockingly) returned early from the injury...Still, he's owed a massive amount over the next three years. Players rarely come back at the same level from an Achilles tear, but Tatum may be the exception to the rule.”
Boston inked Tatum to a five-year, $314 million supermax contract in 2024. He’s currently in the first year of that deal and will earn $54.1 million for the season. Given how early Tatum has returned from his Achilles injury, it’s understandable if some sections of the fanbase are concerned about whether he can return to an All-NBA level.
The Celtics' medical staff wouldn’t have cleared Tatum to play if he were at risk of re-injuring himself. Nevertheless, whenever a player suffers a major injury, there’s always a risk they won’t reach the same level once they return to the floor.
Fortunately, Tatum has already pieced together two encouraging games. If he can remain healthy and continue improving, his contract will undoubtedly look more reasonable. Still, when you commit more than a quarter of a billion dollars to a single player, there’s always risk attached, injury or no injury.
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