There have been two massive questions surrounding the Boston Celtics throughout their fun, above-expectations season thus far.
“Is Jayson Tatum coming back?” and “Will the Celtics make a trade?”
Fans actually have a set date when they’ll find out the answer to the latter. Boston and all other NBA teams have until Feb. 5 to finalize any trades for this season. What they decide to do between now and then could provide some hint towards the answer to the former.
In Thursday’s edition of The Stein Line newsletter, NBA Insider Jake Fischer shared that whatever the Celtics do before next month’s trade deadline will be a strong indicator of how optimistic they’re feeling about a potential return for Tatum.
“One well-placed observer whispered this week that the Celtics' deadline business -- whether they trade for a big man or not and how significant the trade is — should serve as a useful hint about their plans for an in-season comeback from Jayson Tatum.
As our publisher noted recently, Tatum has told Friend of The Stein Line Chris Haynes that he intends to return from last May's torn Achilles before this season's playoffs. An official timetable for a Tatum comeback has not yet been released.”
A big splash trade might mean the Celtics know Tatum will be back
Ironically, Thursday marks eight months since the Celtics star underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. In the days following the initial injury, Tatum’s father, Justin, told ESPN’s Marc J. Spears that the hope was that JT could be back in the lineup in eight to nine months.
So, this is officially “Tatum Watch” territory for Celtics fans.
As the deadline approaches, the Cs continue to be tied to names of different significances. Jaren Jackson Jr., Ivica Zubac, Robert Williams III, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Daniel Gafford have all been linked to Boston over the past few weeks.
Of course, each player would come at a different price. Jackson Jr. or Zubac would require significant draft capital, along with likely both Anfernee Simons and Sam Hauser, to match salary. Both players, however, are All-Defensive-level big men who can elevate the Celtics almost immediately.
Meanwhile, Williams III, Sharpe, and Gafford would come at a lower price, which would still vary between each player. There’s a reason for that, too. Williams III has a significant injury history, Gafford isn’t at the same level as Jackson Jr. or Zubac, and Sharpe still has to prove himself as a rotation player on a winning team.
If Boston were to take a swing on either guy in the higher tier, there may be a six-foot-ten guy wearing the number 0 walking through the door pretty soon.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Tatum won’t be back if neither Zubac nor Jackson Jr. is dealt to Boston, though. As Fischer pointed out, there’s been plenty of buzz that JT hopes to be back in time for the postseason, and it doesn’t sound like he’s had any setbacks in his recovery process.
The big takeaway here is that if the Celtics decide to make a big splash at the deadline, there’s a reason why.