Celtics

Could Jayson Tatum return this season? Celtics president responds

Celtics team president Rich Gotham didn’t exactly shoot down a scenario where Tatum could give the Celtics a boost in the spring

Jayson Tatum is still working his way back from an Achilles tear. Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe Staff

August 7, 2025 | 7:00 PM

2 minutes to read

The Boston Celtics have made no official declarations regarding Jayson Tatum’s expected return to the court and his availability for the 2025-26 season.

But, the overriding sentiment is that Tatum will likely sit out next season to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon, even if he’s given the green light to play in late March or early April.

The late timing of Tatum’s injury, in late May, already puts him on a tough timeline, especially when factoring in the already arduous recovery process that comes with working back from such a critical injury.

Boston may not also be keen to rush back Tatum in March or April, especially if the Celtics are already staring at a bridge season as they get their fiscal situation in order after cutting payroll to duck major luxury-tax penalties.

The Pacers have already ruled out Tyreese Haliburton for the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

But, speaking to reporters in Providence on Thursday, Celtics team president Rich Gotham didn’t exactly shoot down a scenario where Tatum could give the Celtics a boost in the spring — especially if a revamped roster manages to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

“That’s a down-the-road question. That’s one you can’t really answer today,” Gotham responded. “But what I know about JT is, he’s gonna do everything he can to put us in a position to make a decision. He’s gonna work hard to get back as soon as he can, and we’ll see how soon that is. But for right now, we’re not really looking at timetables.”

Rich Gotham was asked at today’s community event if the organization would feel comfortable playing Tatum if he were cleared to play with a month left in the season:

“…What I know about JT is he’s gonna do everything he can to put us in a position to make a decision. He’s gonna… pic.twitter.com/lHVCjBsoiR
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) August 7, 2025

Tatum has been spotted walking without a boot or brace, including on Wednesday as a guest at Patriots training camp or on Thursday at a groundbreaking event for an early childhood education center in Providence.

Jayson Tatum walking up the stairs less than 3 months after Achilles injury 👏🙌

(via @NoaDalzell) pic.twitter.com/KLWZk0ebZw
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) August 7, 2025

Speaking in June, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens stressed that the Celtics won’t be setting any tangible timelines for Tatum as he works his way back to full healthy.

“We don’t and we won’t,” Stevens said after 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.”

Even if there’s no guarantee that Tatum returns to the Celtics in 2025-26, Gotham still expects Boston to be a hard out this year.

“You’re going to see a team out there working as hard as possible. And I don’t think it’s inconceivable that we will be a good team — a good winning team — next year,” Gotham said. “I’m not sure it’s going to be the step down that people anticipate. And by every indicator we have, people are really excited.”