Today, one of the biggest questions surrounding the NBA was finally answered. Jayson Tatum is expected to return during the 2025–26 season after tearing his Achilles tendon in May of 2025. Many around the league believed a comeback that quickly would be nearly impossible given the typical recovery timeline for an Achilles injury. However, the Boston Celtics star appears to be ahead of schedule, giving Boston a massive boost moving forward.

The Celtics have greatly overachieved this season after many predicted a down year without their franchise cornerstone. Head coach Joe Mazzulla was clearly aware of the outside noise. Teammate Derrick White revealed on the White Noise Podcast that Mazzulla was well aware of the criticism. White recalled getting a call from Mazzulla on his birthday in July, where the coach said, “Happy birthday man… Everybody thinks we’re going to suck, I love it,” before hanging up.

Sportsbooks reflected that same belief; it wasn’t just outside chatter. At the start of the season, the Celtics were listed at +6000 to win the NBA Finals on DraftKings. As Boston kept winning and rumors of Tatum’s potential return began circulating, those odds have quickly shortened to +900.

Now with Tatum’s return approaching, the Celtics may suddenly be just as intimidating as they were last year. The plan is expected to bring him back on a minutes restriction while gradually ramping him up as the postseason approaches. If the team can continue its strong play and get a healthy version of Tatum by playoff time, Boston could win their 2nd championship in the last three years.

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