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By Justin Grasso
Contributing Sports Writer
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There are no more talks about a gap year for the Boston Celtics. Barring a massive drop in the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics are going to make the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
At the beginning of the season, it was assumed that if the Celtics were in play for a postseason spot, the injured Jayson Tatum could make an impressive return to the court less than one year after suffering an Achilles injury.
Up until this week, it was widely assumed that Tatum would be back around the springtime. But as the potential return date inches closer, there seems to be a slight change of heart. Nothing is guaranteed at this time, but Tatum is considering a change of course, according to NBA Insider, Chris Haynes.
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“It 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,” Haynes said on Wednesday night, “but 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's going to return at all this season.”
Tatum last played for the Celtics during their 2025 second-round series against the New York Knicks. During the playoffs, he appeared in eight games, averaging 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
“I was told that there are a couple of factors of why he’s reached that point, but as of now, that changed the whole landscape," Haynes added. "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. Sources informed me that the situation has changed, and now it is up in the air if he’s going to return or not."
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The Celtics have fared well without Tatum on the court, being led by the multi-time All-Star, Jaylen Brown. With a 29-18 record, the Celtics are ranked third in the Eastern Conference. They have flip-flopped with the New York Knicks in the second seed.
Tatum’s return would raise a lot of questions. Would he be healthy enough to avoid further injury scares? Would the Celtics continue to find the same success while bringing in another high-usage star so late into the year? While Tatum’s exact reasoning for being hesitant to come back hasn’t been revealed at this time, the Celtics’ eventual playoff run has a lot of questions attached with or without Tatum in the mix.
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