SportsCenter — 10 months ago(May 14, 2025 06:00 AM)

The future of the Celtics in doubt.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/what-jayson-tatums-torn-achilles-means-for-the-all-nba-player-the-celtics-and-the-rest-of-the-league/
A week ago, a Celtics dynasty was plausible. They were -900 favorites against the New York Knicks before their second-round series began. That number is +400 on Caesars after Tatum's injury news. Just by virtue of playing in the Eastern Conference, their path to the Finals for the next few seasons would have been easier than the minefield their primary competition would have faced out West. Yes, the CBA would have forced some depth sacrifices, but just having a superstar in Tatum and an All-Star in Jaylen Brown both in their primes playing the NBA's scarcest position probably would have ensured perpetual contention. Only Oklahoma City felt better about its future than Boston before the second round began, and the Celtics already have a ring.
But now? The 2025-26 season, at least, is seemingly over. Boston isn't overcoming a 3-1 deficit against New York and winning two more rounds without Tatum. The 2026-27 season, in all likelihood, has been vaporized as well. The overwhelming majority of players that tear an Achilles tendon miss a full year. There are exceptions, but they aren't encouraging. It took Wes Matthews less than eight months to make it back in 2015, but he was never the same player he was before the injury. Durant is the best-case scenario here. He didn't play an NBA game between June of 2019 and December of 2020. It would be irresponsible of Boston to let Tatum try his luck with the Matthews timeline, and this injury came in May. Even if he could make it back in a calendar year, the Celtics could be eliminated by then.
Tatum's career probably resumes in October 2026. By then, the entire league landscape will have changed. Two new champions will have been crowned in his absence. The Celtics will have likely made significant roster changes. And Tatum himself probably won't be quite the same player. So let's dive into all of the implications of Tatum's absence, starting with what it means for him and eventually moving into his team and the rest of the league.