Jayson Tatum appeared to be trending toward a midseason return from Achilles surgery. Now, that return might not come until 2026-27.<\/p>\n
The Celtics star is \u201creevaluating\u201d his plan and considering sitting out the rest of the season<\/a>, NBA on Prime insider Chris Haynes reported late Wednesday night.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was always a foregone conclusion that Tatum was going to try to give it a go and return at some point during the season after suffering that Achilles tear,\u201d Haynes said, \u201cbut league sources just informed me right now that Jayson Tatum is now reevaluating his situation, and it is up in the air on if he\u2019s going to return at all this season. I was told there are a couple of factors of why he\u2019s reached that point, but as of right now, that changes the whole landscape.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause Tatum even told me personally, months back that he was returning at some point. He was getting ready to return, and it was getting close. I was hearing it was getting close. And then league sources informed me that the situation has changed, and now it is up in the air if he\u2019s going to return or not.\u201d<\/p>\n It was not immediately clear whether Tatum \u2014 who is 8 1\/2 months removed from surgery and recently held an hour-long workout in front of reporters<\/a> \u2014 suffered a setback in his recovery or altered his plan for another reason.<\/p>\n In an interview with \u201cThe Pivot\u201d podcast published Tuesday, Tatum suggested he was having second thoughts<\/a> about whether an in-season comeback would be the best path for him and the Celtics, who have remained Eastern Conference contenders in his absence.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s something I contemplate every day,\u201d Tatum said. \u201cMore so about the team. If or when I do come back this season, they would have played 50-some-odd games without me. So they have an identity this year, or things that they\u2019ve felt that have clicked for them, and it\u2019s been successful \u2014 second (seed) in the East up to this point. So there is a thought in my head of, like, how does that work? How does that look with me integrating myself off an injury and 50, 60 games into a season?<\/p>\n \u201c(There) obviously could be some challenges, and it is a thought, like, \u2018Damn, do I come back, or should I wait?\u2019 It\u2019s honestly something that recently, in the last two weeks or so, I just kind of contemplate every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n Tatum has attended nearly every Celtics game this season, home and road, watching from the bench in street clothes. Boston is 29-18, tied with the New York Knicks for the second-best record in the East, and owns the NBA\u2019s third-best net rating, trailing only Oklahoma City and Detroit.<\/p>\n In December, after Tatum ramped up his rehab to include 1-on-1 drills<\/a> against Celtics assistants, head coach Joe Mazzulla said the decision on when he\u2019d return to game action would be \u201call up to (Tatum).\u201d A week later, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Tatum had \u201cobviously made great strides\u201d<\/a> but would not be activated until he was \u201c100% healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n Veteran wing Sam Hauser said the team would be eager to reintegrate its four-time first-team All-NBA centerpiece if he is able to return this season.<\/p>\n