Boston — Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been upgraded to questionable for Friday night’s home game against the Dallas Mavericks, positioning the six-time All-Star for his first appearance since rupturing his right Achilles tendon last spring.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Tatum is “ready to go,” with a final decision expected shortly before tipoff at TD Garden. The 28-year-old has not played since Game 4 of Boston’s second-round series against New York on May 14, 2025, an injury that required surgery the following day.
Recovery ahead of schedule
Tatum’s comeback would arrive 298 days after the tear, beating the standard recovery timeline for Achilles injuries. He began full 5-on-5 work this winter with both the Celtics and their G League affiliate and has repeatedly said he would only return when fully healthy, physically and mentally.
Boston never ruled its franchise cornerstone out for 2025-26, unlike fellow Eastern Conference stars Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered similar injuries during the 2025 postseason and were shut down for the year.
Minutes limit expected
If activated, Tatum is expected to face a strict minutes restriction and sit out back-to-backs as he ramps up for the playoffs. Playing his first game at home was a priority, he said last September, anticipating an emotional run through the TD Garden tunnel.
Celtics thriving without him
Despite offseason cost-saving moves that sent out Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet, Boston has surged to a 41-21 record, holding the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed with the league’s second-best offense and seventh-best defense. Jaylen Brown has filled the scoring void with career highs of 28.9 points and 5.0 assists per game.
Reintegrating Tatum, a four-time first-team All-NBA selection who averaged 27.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists from 2022-25, will be a key storyline over the final weeks of the regular season. In January, he acknowledged concerns about disrupting the club’s chemistry but later expressed confidence that the transition would be smooth.
Source: Hoops Rumors
