Big news out in Boston , as according to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania , Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum has informed the Boston Celtics that he wants to play in the 2025-26 season.
Tatum is currently recovering from an Achilles tear, which he suffered on May 12, 2025, during the Celtics ' second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks . While many thought he would sit out the entire season, JT has looked incredibly good in practice videos, and people are saying there's a chance he plays this season.
Well, Tatum has officially told the Celtics of his intention, and the team is leaving the door open for him to make a comeback this year.
"The Celtics have not ruled him out," revealed Shams. "I think that the Celtics are cautiously optimistic. Clearly, Jayson Tatum has a goal in his mind that he wants to play. Now, whether he can get there by the time we're in February, March, or April, we'll see."
According to Charania, there are at least two important factors to consider here. Of course, the first is that Tatum has to be at 100 percent full strength before the Celtics allow him to play again. That is easier said than done because there are multiple doctors who are going to give him the clearance, so it's not going to be based on how Tatum feels about his body alone.
The next thing to consider, per Shams, would be where the Celtics would be in the team standings when JT gets the green light he needs. If the Celtics are far from playoff contention, then there is no reason to rush him back. However, if Boston keeps afloat and is within striking distance, then the team will hold a vote to decide Tatum's fate.
"I saw that video as well, like the rest of the world, a couple of weeks ago," added Charania. "He is moving differently than anyone that I've seen, four, five months removed."
Many have been shocked to see how good Tatum has looked in his return to the basketball court. While both Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton , who also suffered Achilles injuries during the 2025 NBA playoffs, have already ruled out playing this season, Tatum is back to dunking the ball already.
Of course, all credit goes to Jayson for how he's attacked his recovery. However, it's worth noting that a couple of days after JT went under the knife at the New York-based Hospital for Special Surgery, a medical expert came forward to predict an early return for Tatum because he had surgery less than 24 hours after suffering the injury.
"You're going to get infiltration of biologic agents and cells that will create the beginnings of scar formation," Dr Lou Soslowsky, founding director of the Penn Achilles Tendinopathy Center of Research Translation, told Celticsblog.com. "Because this repair was within a day, those processes had only just begun, and with a surgical pair, the torn ends were put right back together before a lot of these adverse biologic effects occurred. And so the opportunity for a faster recovery really is present."
Some say Tatum could be back by March. Jeff Teague even thinks February is possible. But whether it's February, March, or April, if Jayson comes back to play this season, it will be a landmark accomplishment. Hopefully, it will become the new standard for Achilles injury recovery.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 10, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
