NBA
Boston’s Jayson Tatum is ‘ahead’ of schedule in his Achilles recovery
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated8 hours ago on August 01, 2025
In the 2024 playoffs, the Boston Celtics made a run to the NBA Finals. They won their 18th title in franchise history. Just one year later, their championship roster has been split up.
Boston parted ways with Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday because Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in May. It was a brutal loss for Boston at the time. An Achilles injury almost always means missing 9-12 months. Recently, Jayson Tatum was spotted at Chris Paul’s summer basketball camp. Scouts noticed how well Tatum was moving and said he is “way ahead” of schedule. There is optimism that Tatum could rejoin Boston late in the 2025-26 regular season.
Can Jayson Tatum defy the odds and make a return from an Achilles tear next season?
The possibility of Jayson Tatum rejoining the Celtics late in the regular season has not been ruled out, per @SteveBHoop
Scouts say he’s been moving ‘really well’ at CP3’s camp.
“I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen guys coming back from Achilles’ tears, and he looked way ahead. I was… pic.twitter.com/h1tPElFGkJ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 1, 2025
When Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in mid-May, the Celtics’ front office saw the writing on the wall. Boston was set to be in the second apron of the CBA. If they had their full roster, paying the luxury tax is something ownership would have considered. Jayson Tatum is not guaranteed to play in 2025-26 and be at full strength. Knowing that, the Celtics split up their 2024 championship roster.
Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were traded. Additionally, Luke Kornet left in free agency for the Spurs. Recently, NBA veteran Chris Paul hosted a basketball summer camp for kids. Jayson Tatum was invited to help, and he was reportedly moving well for tearing his Achilles on May 12. Steve Bulpett noted that one scout said Tatum is “way ahead” on his recovery from an Achilles injury.
Jayson Tatum walking without a boot less than 3 months after achilles tear. 👏🙌
(via thejaysontatumfoundation/IG) pic.twitter.com/oUSOaaiPbH
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) July 28, 2025
The scouts also said Tatum might have had a slight limp, but that was surprising. What shocked them was the fact that Tatum wasn’t using a walking boot. Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the NBA Finals, and he’s been spotted wearing one. Is Tatum progressing that quickly in the recovery process?
Tatum’s 2025-26 season will be the first year he’ll miss significant time for Boston. The 27-year-old is a six-time All-Star and has been named first-team All-NBA in four consecutive seasons. Without the services of Tatum, the Celtics will rely on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White’s scoring output. On August 1, it’s still too early to tell if Tatum will make an appearance in the upcoming season.
