The Boston Celtics were hoping to make another NBA Finals run last postseason before Jayson Tatum suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon.
Then, the Celtics fell short of the Eastern Conference Finals, and they have been without Tatum for the entire 2025-26 NBA season thus far. On Monday, another big update dropped regarding Tayum’s status.
“Jayson Tatum will be assigned to participate in portions of the @MaineCeltics practice at the Auerbach Center this afternoon. Following this practice, Tatum will be immediately recalled to the Boston Celtics, where he will continue his rehab process,” the Celtics posted on X.
The Tatum torn Achilles (video shown here) was expected to sideline him anywhere from 10 months to a year, with most estimating the Celtics star would not return until the 2026-27 NBA season.
At the end of January, a report emerged stating that Tatum could slow down his recovery and sit out the entire season, but no decision had been made just yet.
The Celtics still have not given a firm return timeline for Tatum, and that likely won’t be released until they see how he responds to the practice session.
As of Monday, the Celtics have a 34-19 record, which has them at third in the Eastern Conference, so there isn’t a rush to get Tatum back on the floor.
Nonetheless, this is a surprising development, and it will be worth monitoring to see how Tatum responds.
