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Jayson Tatum injury update: Celtics star returns to 5-on-5 practice in major step towards comeback

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Jayson Tatum is working his way back to the court after suffering a ruptured Achilles in May. On Monday, the Boston Celtics star returned to five-on-five practice against teammates, a major step in his comeback.

On Tuesday, ESPN insider Shams Charania joined NBA Today where he revealed an injury update on Tatum. From the sound of it, things are progressing positively.

“Jayson Tatum participated fully in his first five-on-five practice with Celtics rostered players, two-way players, G-League players, not just coaches,” Charania said. “He participated fully in that five-on-five scrimmage on Monday. Everyone I spoke to with knowledge of Monday’s practice told me Tatum looked great. He’s been ramping up, he’s done five-on-five with coaches over the last ten days. But it’s different when you play your fellow teammates, two-way players and G-League players.”

Last season, Tatum played in 72 games, averaging 36.4 minutes per night. He averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists as a key piece in the Celtics’ operation.

Tatum appears to be closing in on a return for Celtics

While there’s still no definitive timeline on when Tatum will officially return to game action, he undoubtedly took a major step this week. Now, Celtics staff and doctors will gather and evaluate just how close he is to getting back out there.

“There are still boxes for Jayson Tatum to check,” Charania added. “At the end of all this, there’s going to be about a dozen people gathering in a room deciding and determining whether Jayson Tatum is 100% cleared medically and 100% cleared on a mental level.”

Getting Tatum back would obviously be a big boost in Boston. He’s a four-time All-NBA First Team selection, a six-time All-Star, and, of course, helped lead his team to an NBA title in 2024. Boston currently sits tied for second in the Eastern Conference at 34-19 on the season.

Tatum’s normal running mate, Jaylen Brown, has carried the load this season for the Celtics. He’s averaging 29.4 points per night. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are both averaging at least 17.1 points per game as well. At the trade deadline, the Celtics made a few moves. Most notably, they traded away Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick to the Chicago Bulls to bring in Nikola Vucevic and a second-rounder.