Duke Blue Devils legend Jayson Tatum could ultimately return to the Boston Celtics at some point this season.
When Duke Blue Devils legend Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles during the Boston Celtics' second-round playoff matchup last May, most felt we wouldn't see him again until the 2026-27 NBA campaign.
But it's looking more and more like Tatum may be back much sooner than everyone initially thought.
Tatum has been making remarkable progress in his rehab, and even before the season started, there was speculation he could return in February or March.
Well, now, it appears to be becoming a reality, thanks much in part to the Celtics establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference even without Tatum and after subtracting numerous core pieces over the summer.
In fact, Zach Lowe of The Ringer revealed some intel that indicates Tatum could be inching closer and closer to a return.
“All of the rumblings around the league is that Boston is now going to buy [at the trade deadline]," Lowe said. "I don’t know how that works. I don’t know if they can buy and cut their tax bill at the same time. The obvious place for them to buy is up front, where they could use another legit frontcourt player. This team is clearly really good."
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.Lowe then dropped the bombshell.
"Jaylen Brown is having a majestic season. Tatum, I think, is going to come back at some point," Lowe added. "They have a lot of assets to play with.”
Lowe is far from the only person projecting Tatum to retake the floor this season, and if the Celtics do ultimately decide to buy at the trade deadline, it's a clear hint that they feel Tatum will be back.
Of course, Boston — a very forward-thinking organization — could merely be looking to buy for the future, as it's hard to imagine Tatum will look even close to 100 percent if he does come back this season. But the point is that Lowe is just the latest insider to state he feels Tatum is on the path to a return.
Tatum spent one season at Duke in 2016-17 and was then selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
Since then, the 27-year-old has cemented himself as one of the league's best players, making six All-Star teams while also earning four First-Team All-NBA selections.
Most importantly, Tatum led Boston to a championship in 2024.
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