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Jayson Tatum’s return to an NBA court seems to come much sooner than anyone expected.
The Boston Celtics superstar could be preparing as early as Friday, nearly 10 months after he ruptured his Achilles tendon against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, according to ESPN.
The Celtics will face Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks on Friday at TD Garden, and Tatum is expected to be with his teammates for the first time since his injury.
Tatum was officially listed as questionable on the Celtics’ injury report.
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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum applauds from the bench in the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden on March 4, 2026. (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe)
Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, said his star guard would not be released until he was definitely ready to play, both physically and mentally.
That’s especially the case considering the Celtics don’t need Tatum back quickly. They are 41-21, which gives them the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Tatum also noted that he would like to return for a home game.
Boston has had players step up in Tatum’s absence, including counterpart Jaylen Brown. Brown has shouldered the scoring load, averaging 28.9 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and five assists.
Derrick White has scored 17.3 points per game, while working on the defensive end with 1.2 steals.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum walks off the court after Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe)
And the Celtics have had Payton Pritchard (16.8 points, 5.3 assists) and Anfernee Simons (14.2 points) helping the team every night.
The return of the 28-year-old Tatum is nothing short of remarkable considering the average window for Achilles tendon rehab is 9 to 12 months, and typically occurs at the tail end of the timeline.
As Tatum looks to return, he was well aware of how good his team has been in his absence. He’s been seen on the sideline cheering on his teammates all season and wants to seamlessly return to the rotation.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on January 19, 2026 in Detroit. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
“I’m very aware of what’s going on. I think it’s just going to come from that,” he said, according to NBA.com. “Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and what I bring to the team. But I’m also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well.”
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