Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum had surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced Tuesday. The Celtics did not provide a timetable for his return.
Tatum suffered the non-contact injury while hustling after a loose ball late in the fourth quarter of the 121-113 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. After OG Anunoby finished the play with a dunk, a pair of Celtics trainers carried Tatum off the court. Though the team didn’t initially know the severity of the issue, an emotional Boston locker room seemed to fear the worst after the game.
“Obviously we all realized in our heads what this could mean,” said Kristaps Porziņģis. “But again, this is part of the sport. It’s tough, and it’s hard to see and hard to accept the truth but it is what it is and we have to go forward with what we have now.”
The Celtics, trailing 3-1 in their second-round series, will host Game 5 on Wednesday. On the brink of elimination, they will need to regroup quickly.
“I think everybody’s kind of at a loss for words, just because, not only losing the game, but obviously the concern with JT,” Jaylen Brown said after Game 4. “But we pick our heads back up tomorrow and go from there.”
Tatum, 27, was enjoying his best game of the postseason before the injury, scoring 42 points in 40 minutes of action.
Though the Celtics said Tatum is expected to make a full recovery, it will likely take some time for him to get there. An Achilles tear typically comes with a recovery timeline of eight to 12 months, so he should be expected to miss much of next season in addition to the current postseason.
“Obviously you’re always concerned about someone’s health,” said Joe Mazzulla. “So it’s two-fold. We’re concerned about his health, where he’s at, and then we’re concerned about what we have to do better for Game 5 when we get back to Boston.”
Tatum’s injury could force Celtics to make a major pivot
Tatum’s injury only complicates the coming offseason for the Celtics, who were already staring at an enormous luxury tax bill and likely to make some difficult roster decisions.
Just keeping the current roster together would result in a payroll of about $500 million, including luxury taxes. Even before Tatum’s injury, league sources expected the Celtics to shed salary this summer to avoid that enormous price tag. Now that the team is likely eliminated from title contention next season, the front office could consider even bigger changes.
It would be sensible for the Celtics to consider getting younger to retool for when Tatum returns to the court. Al Horford, who will turn 39 next month, is an impending free agent. Jrue Holiday, who will turn 35 next month, will likely be 36 or very close to it by the time Tatum is healthy again. If the Celtics want to shed even more salary for next season, they could also explore the trade market for Brown, Porziņģis and Derrick White.
It’s hard to understate the significance of Tatum’s injury. It could force a major pivot for the organization. Though Kevin Durant and others have recently provided hope for athletes recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, it has historically been one of the most damaging injuries for NBA players. Tatum will have a long road back to the court, and the Celtics will need to reimagine their plans around him.
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