There had been plenty of speculation that whatever moves the Boston Celtics made at this week’s NBA Trade Deadline could serve as an indicator of whether or not fans should expect to see Jayson Tatum back in the lineup this season.
When news broke that they’d swapped Anfernee Simons with Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, the gears started to turn. Why would Boston opt to trade for Vucevic, who is only under contract through the end of the season? Did they really feel a short-term solution was the way to go? Did they opt for said short-term solution because Tatum is almost ready?
Well, we don’t really know the answers to any of those questions. What we do know is that Vucevic fills a frontcourt need for Boston, and he saves them $7 million in salary, which was enough to get the payroll beneath the first apron.
Tatum’s status still remains a mystery -- and that’s okay. Following the team’s first win after the trade was reported, Jaylen Brown shared some insight about what Tatum’s recovery process has looked like.
“I think it’s been good,” Brown said via CLNS Media. “I’ve been watching his progression. And I know, mentally, he’s been through ups and downs just like any other person going through adversity in their career, etc.”
The Celtics would love to have Jayson Tatum back, but not until he's 100% ready
Though Tatum is trending in the right direction, no one, including Brown, is putting pressure on him to come back until he’s fully ready.
“But I just let him know: ‘Do what’s best for you.’ Make sure,” Brown stressed. “Because outside of it just being physically a setback, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, all that stuff comes into play as well, so even if you’re physically feeling well, make sure your mind — mentally, emotionally, and spiritually — feels great too. So, I trust, (and) we trust his decision-making.”
Of course, the Celtics have gotten to where they’re at without Tatum to this point. Everyone’s played a role, but Brown deserves a ton of credit. The 29-year-old is putting together a career season, averaging 29.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and 36.3% from long range.
His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Last month, Brown was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his 10-year NBA career. On Tuesday, another first came his way -- the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award.
Highlights from Jaylen’s first career Player of the Month win pic.twitter.com/uLszcv07aj
— Sam LaFrance (@SamLaFranceNBA) February 3, 2026
As great as he and his teammates have been, the addition of Tatum would bring them to another level. They know that.
At the same time, Brown stressed that as badly as they want to win, they want to prioritize JT’s well-being.
“Obviously, we would love to have him back,” Brown said. “Winning is the most important thing for me. So, being able to add to winning and potentially have another deep playoff run is what I’m aiming for. JT is a big part of that. So, obviously, he has to make the right decision for him and his body and his mind and his spirit, all of the above, but when it’s time, if he does make that decision, we would love to have him back.”