Injuries to top stars have plagued the NBA. In just 2025, top names like Damian Lillard, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jayson Tatum went down when all eyes in the world were watching, all with no foreseeable timetable for a return due to the severity of their injuries. Thankfully, with each passing day, they are getting closer to making a return to the floor.
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Tatum, for one, was expected to miss the entirety of the 2025–2026 season. The six-time All-Star tore his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks on May 12 last year.
Yet somehow, the 27-year-old sensation is recovering well ahead of schedule. Videos surfaced of him doing drills, and word was that thanks to updated medical practices, he could return very soon. Well, that assumption still appears to be on track, according to insider Chris Haynes.
Haynes revealed on the latest edition of SiriusXM NBA Radio that Tatum continues to get healthier. In fact, he was told that since there have been no setbacks, there is a real likelihood that basketball fans will see him back on the hardwood in 2026.
“Tatum is going to do what he feels is best for his body. I’m told he’s feeling really good. I’m told that there has not been any setbacks, not one throughout this whole process, which is good,” stated Haynes.
“It’s hard to believe that if things continue to progress in the right direction, it’s hard for me to believe that he will not be on the court at some point during the regular season,” he added.
“I’m told he’s feeling really good. I’m told there has not been any setbacks” @ChrisBHaynes gives the latest on Jayson Tatum’s rehab with @talkhoops
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— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 11, 2026
If Tatum does make it back sometime in 2026, it will not just be a boost for Boston, it will be a statement about how much modern recovery has changed the career arc of superstars. Achilles tears used to be the nightmare scenario that altered legacies. The hope is that they are becoming detours instead of dead ends.
One good thing for Boston is that they have not suffered as greatly as many expected. The 18-time NBA champions are the No. 2 seed in the East, trailing only the red-hot Detroit Pistons. Jaylen Brown has been putting up near-MVP numbers, averaging 29.4 points per game, and the bench has come alive when it is needed most.
The biggest issue might not be whether Tatum comes back or not. It will be about fitting him into a rotation that is already working. Tatum will obviously provide a major spark for the Celtics on offense. Does he immediately become the number one option when he returns, or does the offense continue to run through Brown? There is only one way to find out, and that is to get Tatum back on the court.
