Near the end of the team's Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles injury and underwent surgery, ending his current season with a lot of uncertainty regarding next season and whether he will suit up at all.
The Celtics, who went down 1-3 in their series against the Knicks in Game 4, won convincingly on Wednesday night in their first game without Tatum. With the Celtics now just one more win away from forcing a Game 7, their focus is clear. However, many fans are still wondering about Tatum and his status.
While nothing is official yet, there has been a lot more clarity regarding the Celtics' star's injury, including what his availability could look like next season.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0).
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0).
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
As is the case for most Achilles injuries, many expect Tatum will miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season. Furthermore, there is concern that he may never play at the same level he did before the injury even after he is fully recovered. However, according to Dr. Lou Soslowsky, via CelticsBlog's Noa Dalzell, Tatum has a chance to make an "earlier-than-average" return.
“The fact that he did choose a surgeon — and there was availability to operate on him so quickly — gives him an excellent shot at an earlier-than-average, high-level athlete return," Soslowsky said.
It is still safe to assume the six-time All-Star will be out for the entire season as the Celtics may want to be as cautious as possible, but this is still encouraging regardless. According to Soslowsky, it will likely come down to how fast he is recovering, as well as how safe the team wants to play it.
"At some point in some months, we’ll get a much better idea of whether they’re going to try and get back next season or not,” he said. “If you want to be conservative, one would say, well, it’s probably a 12-month rehab anyway. Therefore, let’s let him sit out and give him the best shot during the following season. On the other hand, if in a handful of months he’s doing well, then there’ll be the push and pull to say, we can get him back next season.”
Given the shock of Tatum's injury, there may be some hope that he will not sit out for the entirety of next season. Nothing will be official until more time has passed, but this is an encouraging sign for a Celtics team that is looking to remain in the title picture.