In an appearance on NBATV during the first half of the Boston Celtics' opening night rivalry clash against the Philadelphia 76ers, veteran insider Chris Haynes shared his outlook on Jayson Tatum suiting up during the 2025-26 campaign.
"I think we will see him at some point during the regular season," said Haynes while discussing the progress Tatum has made as he rehabs from a torn Achilles tendon.
“I think we will see him at some point during the regular season.” 👀@ChrisBHaynes gives an update on Jayson Tatum’s progress on The Association. pic.twitter.com/nRdk7a86fZ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 23, 2025
It would not be a surprise if the six-time All-Star gets medically cleared while the season is still in session. At that point, the Celtics may have to let him back into the lineup.
The moves they made in a projected gap year, forced upon them by Tatum's injury and the need for flexibility after consecutive years over the second apron, suggest the franchise would feel more comfortable with their star forward waiting to return until next season.
Furthermore, if, for example, Tatum gets cleared to play in late March and Boston is headed towards earning a spot in the postseason, that would give him minimal time to ramp up for the intensity of competing in that environment. It would be understandable if the organization is not comfortable with that scenario.
Wyc Grousbeck discusses Jayson Tatum's potential return
Wednesday morning, the Celtics' alternate governor and CEO, Wyc Grousbeck, made an appearance on the Greg Hill Show on WEEI. Among the topics discussed was the prospect of fans seeing Tatum return to the TD Garden parquet this season.
"We're not going to ever ask him to come back," stated Grousbeck. "We're assuming he's not coming back, and we're not even going to have any discussions about it. At some point, he's going to be ready to come back. Whenever that is, we'll get five doctors' opinions, we'll ask him how he feels, and then we'll all decide jointly -- let's do this, whatever month that is, whenever that is. But there are no discussions in the meantime. He's expected to not be here this season."
It was a message that poured cold water on the idea that Tatum will be in a Celtics uniform in the 2025-26 campaign. It's understandable that the team wants to err on the side of caution, especially given what the four-time All-NBA First Team selection means to their future. They won't allow for him to return too early.
With that said, in an exclusive interview with Dr. Kevin Stone, a leading expert in Achilles tendon repair, he told this author, "It's not unreasonable to be back next season, and I suspect, knowing what we know about him, that he'll try to do that."
What's even more encouraging is that, thanks to the advancements in treating an Achilles tear, Stone emphatically stated, "There's nothing about an Achilles rupture that should prevent him from coming back better than he was before."
That's all the more reason to be patient about Tatum's return to play, even if it means having to wait until next season.