Jayson Tatum appeared to be trending toward a midseason return from Achilles surgery. Now, that return might not come until 2026-27.
The Celtics star is “reevaluating” his plan and considering sitting out the rest of the season, NBA on Prime insider Chris Haynes reported late Wednesday night.
“It was always a foregone conclusion that Tatum was going to try to give it a go and return at some point during the season after suffering that Achilles tear,” Haynes said, “but league sources just informed me right now that Jayson Tatum is now reevaluating his situation, and it is up in the air on if he’s going to return at all this season. I was told there are a couple of factors of why he’s reached that point, but as of right now, that changes the whole landscape.
“Because Tatum even told me personally, months back that he was returning at some point. He was getting ready to return, and it was getting close. I was hearing it was getting close. And then league sources informed me that the situation has changed, and now it is up in the air if he’s going to return or not.”
It was not immediately clear whether Tatum — who is 8 1/2 months removed from surgery and recently held an hour-long workout in front of reporters — suffered a setback in his recovery or altered his plan for another reason.
In an interview with “The Pivot” podcast published Tuesday, Tatum suggested he was having second thoughts about whether an in-season comeback would be the best path for him and the Celtics, who have remained Eastern Conference contenders in his absence.
“That’s something I contemplate every day,” Tatum said. “More so about the team. If or when I do come back this season, they would have played 50-some-odd games without me. So they have an identity this year, or things that they’ve felt that have clicked for them, and it’s been successful — second (seed) in the East up to this point. So there is a thought in my head of, like, how does that work? How does that look with me integrating myself off an injury and 50, 60 games into a season?
“(There) obviously could be some challenges, and it is a thought, like, ‘Damn, do I come back, or should I wait?’ It’s honestly something that recently, in the last two weeks or so, I just kind of contemplate every single day.”
Tatum has attended nearly every Celtics game this season, home and road, watching from the bench in street clothes. Boston is 29-18, tied with the New York Knicks for the second-best record in the East, and owns the NBA’s third-best net rating, trailing only Oklahoma City and Detroit.
In December, after Tatum ramped up his rehab to include 1-on-1 drills against Celtics assistants, head coach Joe Mazzulla said the decision on when he’d return to game action would be “all up to (Tatum).” A week later, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Tatum had “obviously made great strides” but would not be activated until he was “100% healthy.”
Veteran wing Sam Hauser said the team would be eager to reintegrate its four-time first-team All-NBA centerpiece if he is able to return this season.
“If he is going to return, we’re welcoming him with open arms, for sure,” Hauser said after Wednesday’s 117-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. “I mean, such a great player, and any time you can have the luxury of adding a player like that to your rotation, it’s pretty exciting. So whatever his timetable is, it’s kind of up to him. We’re trying to focus on every day and then try to win as many games before he does come back, if he ends up coming back. So if that’s the case, we can’t wait.”
