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Perhaps no team has taken a step back further than the Boston Celtics this offseason, who parted ways with multiple key players this summer in an effort to duck the dreaded second apron. One key factor that helped motivate this firesale was the Achilles tear of Jayson Tatum, who is expected to miss all of next season after sustaining the injury in the Celtics' second round playoff series loss vs the New York Knicks.
All eyes will be on Tatum as he works toward a recovery for the 2026-27 season, and recently, Celtics fans got a positive sight in that regard when the star was spotted walking without a boot at an event, per @thejaysontatumfoundation on Instagram, via House of Highlights on X, formerly Twitter.
Celtics fans in the comment section were understandably thrilled.
“Hope he comes back better than ever,” wrote one fan.
“This means that his tear wasn't too severe. He'll return to his old self,” speculated another.
This comes just a day after Tatum was seen in a gym in his native St. Louis, also without a boot on, per @celtics.everyday on Instagram (via saintlouismbb).
Overall, it's certainly a good sign that Tatum is able to walk without the use of a boot less than three months after arguably the most devastating leg injury a basketball player can suffer.
A strange time for the Celtics
Just a year ago, the Celtics were regarded by many as being a potential future dynasty in the NBA, with Tatum and Jaylen Brown just entering their primes and the team coming off a dominant playoff run, culminating in a 2024 title.
However, the Celtics lost Tatum to the devastating injury in the second round vs the Knicks (although it should be noted they were likely on their way to losing that series anyway by the time the injury occurred), and now, Boston is looking at a starting frontcourt of Georges Niang and Luka Garza heading into next season.
As great as Jaylen Brown and Derrick White may be, it's highly unlikely that the Celtics' will be able to field a viable contender next year, making it a possibility that Joe Mazzulla and company opt to give more run to some of Boston's stable of younger players in 2025-26 as opposed to adding unecessary mileage to Brown and White.
Boston figures to be back in the contention mix once Tatum returns in 2026-27.
