Jayson Tatum Won't Return Until 'Fully Ready,' Says Celtics' Brad Stevens
When Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the Celtics' conference semifinals loss the the New York Knicks, everything about Boston's immediate future changed. But what won't change is the Celtics' front office's prudence in making sure he has the space and time to make a full recovery.
Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month. But asked about whether the team had put a potential timeline on Tatum's return, Stevens was definitive that there would be no rushing the star's rehabilitation.
"We don't and we won't," Stevens said Wednesday night following the first round of the NBA draft. "We won't put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time. ... It's baby steps right now. He's actually progressed great, but I don't know what that means in regard to projected timelines. But that will be in consultation with him ... and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy. And that will be the priority."
Tatum is expected to miss most if not all of next season. It has already had implications for next season, with the team opting to trade Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday — both key contributors from the 2024 title team — in an effort to get the team's salary under the luxury tax second penalty apron.
But Stevens said All-Star Jaylen Brown has already been back to the Celtics' training facility since he had minimally invasive surgery to clean up his right knee. Brown is doing some light ball handling and work around the rim, Stevens said.
[Related: Why Did The Celtics Trade Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis? What's Next?]
"We said be ready for training camp and I think he'll probably be going full well ahead of that," Stevens said.
While Stevens said league rules wouldn't allow him to address the pending trades of Porzingis or Holiday, he said anything they do this offseason is with an eye toward regaining flexibility after multiple seasons with a high payroll.
"As far as whatever moves that those are a part of, they're all separate and hard and things that you're going to have to do your best to make sure you put yourself in the right positions," Stevens said. "We knew this was coming. This isn't a huge surprise. ... The biggest thing for us is making sure that we balance that, maximizing what we can with regard to what we bring back so we can continue to build and grow."
Tatum's absence will leave a significant hole in Boston's rotation, regardless of what kind of offseason moves they make. He was All-NBA 1st Team for the fourth season in a row in 2024-2025, and an All-Star for the sixth-straight year. Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and a career-high 6.6 assists per game this past season, and in the playoffs, jumped his rebounds average to 11.5 per game on top of 28.1 points.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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