It was speculated even before the Boston Celtics' early exit from the playoffs that they would make big changes to their roster. Because of the consequences of being a repeat tax offender, the Celtics had no choice but to trade away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to get out of the second apron.
With the draft underway and free agency coming up, Brad Stevens and the front office will remain active and continue to reconstruct the roster that won them a championship just last season.
Unfortunately, the Celtics will have to start the upcoming season without their franchise player, Jayson Tatum, who’s currently undergoing the rehab process for his torn Achilles. We’ve heard or seen very little of Tatum regarding his rehab, but a Celtic teammate of his just gave an update on his journey back to the court.
Torrey Craig Gives an Update on Jayson Tatum
In his latest interview with The Garden Report, Celtic forward Torrey Craig gave fans an update on Jayson Tatum, after posting a video of Jayson Tatum at the team’s facilities rehabbing from his torn Achilles.
"Just to see him in good spirits. See him smiling, laughing, joking around and just, you know, just have a normal conversation with him... He's always in with his trainer doing his rehab."Torey Craig via The Garden Report
Craig’s update should give fans a sense of relief, knowing that Tatum is in good spirits after the devastating injury. Seeing Tatum go through his rehab with a positive attitude and being in high spirits is great to see, considering the negative toll that the rehab process can have.
Jayson Tatum in good spirits as he gets a visit from Torrey Craig pic.twitter.com/Co5AGHVuON
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) June 9, 2025
It’s been a little over a month since Tatum had surgery on his Achilles, and it's just the beginning of his rehab. Typically, players are sidelined for eight to ten months, but the process of returning to the court varies for each player.
Both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson missed an extended period due to the injury, with Durant missing 18 months while Thompson missed 14. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant missed eight months, and DeMarcus Cousins missed 11 months.
In addition to the varying timeline, it’s hard for players to return to their prior form. Achilles injuries tend to lead to players becoming less explosive than they once were.
Out of all the players that have come back from a torn Achilles, Durant is the only one to return to his high-level play. Like Durant, Tatum’s play doesn't rely on his explosiveness, and given his age, he has a good chance to return to his prior self.
Because of the timing of the injury, however, Celtics fans should expect Tatum to miss presumably all of next season. All that matters is that Tatum goes through the whole rehab process without any setbacks and comes back fully healthy, whenever that may be.