OKLAHOMA CITY — Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart reached out to Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum amid his former teammates' recovery from a ruptured Achilles. Tatum posted a recent update on social media, reminding everyone he's now six months removed from surgery.
Smart, who played alongside Tatum throughout the six-time All-Star's first six seasons with the Celtics, revealed he's spoken to Jayson, wishing him the best throughout his recovery.
“I talked to him a little bit,” Smart said. “I'm praying for him. Obviously, I hope he gets the resources he needs. Looks like he's doing a good job with his rehab. You never want to see anybody in this league — any of our colleagues — go down the way that he went down. I want them to be on the court. So, we can go out there and perform, and everybody can do what they have to do to feed their families.”
After helping the Celtics to six Eastern Conference Finals appearances in eight seasons, Marcus Smart made his first and only NBA Finals appearance in 2022. Smart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2023 before he was rerouted to the Washingon Wizards in a three-team deal just before last season's trade deadline.
Smart agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal with the Lakers during free agency fter reaching a buyout with the Wizards.
NBA analyst believes Celtics' Jayson Tatum will return this season
Based on a conversation he had with the six-time All-Star, NBA analyst Chris Haynes believes we'll see Tatum back before the end of the regular season. Haynes gave his honest opinion, per NBA TV.
“Based off of what he texted me, I think we will see him at some point during the regular season. He told me he is working out three times per week, 45-minute sessions. He said he is 23 weeks out from when he underwent surgery and he’s feeling good,” he explained on NBA TV.
“I think we will see him at some point during the regular season.” 👀@ChrisBHaynes gives an update on Jayson Tatum’s progress on The Association. pic.twitter.com/nRdk7a86fZ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 23, 2025
From footage of Tatum sprinting to completing a two-footed dunk, all signs point to a successful recovery, thus far. While we could see a return in the latter half of the regular season, Tatum, if available, would most likely return toward the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
