With each new workout video, Boston Celtics fans are growing more hopeful that Jayson Tatum will return to the rotation before the end of the season. The four-time All-NBA First Team selection is currently sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury.

In a recent episode of Brian Windhorst’s “The Hoop Collective” podcast, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps shared his opinion that Boston could be better served by holding Tatum out for the season. That way, he would have a full 18 months to recover before returning to the rotation ahead of the 2026–27 NBA season.

“Jayson Tatum has definitely not been ruled out,” Bontemps said. “And every time Brad Stevens or anybody has talked about it, they’ve said everything, but Jayson Tatum is not playing. So the action there is pretty clear. They’re leaving the door open for him to play. And he is determined to play.”

“Whether he’s allowed to play is a different question,” Bontemps continued. “And I think that discussion becomes a more complicated one the better the Celtics are. I would probably say it’s better for them to wait until next fall anyway. Give him the 18 months. Let him heal up. Let this team make as much of a run as it can and come back. I am not, however, having to sit down across from Jayson Tatum and tell him that.”

Tatum has made no secret of his desire to get back on the court. However, Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ front office, and the coaching staff will ultimately decide whether to bring him back later in the season or continue his recovery ahead of the summer.

The Celtics are surpassing expectations through the opening months of the season. Joe Mazzulla’s team is third in the Eastern Conference with an 18-11 record. If the team can maintain its current production level, there is a case for and against Tatum’s potential return.

Nevertheless, legitimate discussions about Tatum are still a few months away. He is not ready to rejoin the rotation at present. Still, that doesn’t stop his return from being a key topic of discussion this season. Unfortunately for Celtics fans, all they can do is wait and see how things play out.

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The Boston Celtics received an encouraging sign on Christmas Eve, as Jayson Tatum continued his rehabilitation process without taking the holiday off. With the Celtics firmly positioned in the Eastern Conference race, the moment highlighted both Tatum’s injury recovery progress and the team’s ongoing playoff push to win championship No. 19.

The former Duke standout suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in May during the NBA conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. Since then, Tatum’s rehabilitation has followed an accelerated timeline, and his latest post served as visible confirmation that his commitment has not wavered. The Christmas Eve workout message resonated across the league as the season entered a critical stretch.

The post, originally shared to Instagram and later circulated on X (formerly known as Twitter), offered insight into the 27-year-old’s mindset as he continues to ramp up his rehabilitation process.

The image showed yellow basketball sneakers planted on the parquet floor at the Auerbach Center, reinforcing that the Celtics star is back on the court in a controlled setting. Team president Brad Stevens has previously acknowledged that Tatum’s progress has exceeded standard recovery benchmarks, with reports suggesting that clearance for limited one-on-one drills could be approaching.

Boston has managed to stay competitive without its top scorer. Entering Wednesday, the Celtics sat at 18-11, holding the third seed in the Eastern Conference. That positioning has kept the Celtics playoff push in position, but the margin remains slim as the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons continue to surge.

Tatum’s eventual return remains a central storyline for Boston, as his presence fundamentally alters spacing, scoring balance, and late-game execution. Even without a confirmed return date, the decision to train on Christmas Eve reflects leadership through action and underscores his commitment to rejoining the lineup.

For the Celtics, the path to title contention depends heavily on timing. For Tatum, each on-court session brings him closer to rejoining a roster that has already proven it can win, but knows its ceiling rises dramatically when its franchise cornerstone returns.

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