Jayson Tatum’s Path Back to Boston Requires a Year Off

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The basketball world awaits the Boston Celtics’ next move.

Here’s hoping it doesn’t involve Jayson Tatum.

No, the Celtics aren’t about to trade Tatum. Depending upon how things go, maybe we can revisit that a year from now.

Wait, what?

That’s right. This figures to be an interesting season for the Celtics, one in which far too many people have already written them off.

It’s quite possible they’ll turn out to be just fine even with Tatum likely to miss most of the year following Achilles surgery, Jrue Holiday having been traded, Kristaps Porzingis basically sold off and Al Horford with one foot out the door.

Heck, their finances are so bad, they couldn’t even retain Luke Kornet.

But Tatum is the key. Everything has revolved around him pretty much ever since he was plucked from Duke’s bottomless chest of five-star treasures in 2017.

It’s hard to complain when Boston has nine more regular-season wins than any other team over that span, and have played 34 more playoff games.

That said, you have to wonder: If the Celtics — with far and away more top-end talent than any other team in the league in recent years — had shared the ball a little more rather than watch Tatum shoot them out of banner after banner under the bright lights, whether they’d be talking another dynasty rather than the Thunder.

If nothing else, the upcoming season could prove that those who believe the team would be better off without Tatum aren’t just jealous Knicks fans. But this is going to take time to sort out.

We caught a glimpse of what the 2025–26 Celtics might look like in the two games after Tatum was injured in Game 4 of the Eastern semifinals against New York.

For one night, the Celtics looked great. Maybe better than ever. Multiple guys took it upon themselves to share in the ball distribution, the rebounding, the defense … rather than be spectators as Tatum dribbled between his legs endlessly above the top of the key, snatched uncontested rebounds as he guarded nobody and wrestled the ball away from better foul shooters because he was entitled to shoot every technical foul.

In other words: They played like a team.

It was Golden State turned Bay State.

Alas, it couldn’t be sustained. The Celtics were embarrassed in Game 6, living down to the expectations many had put on them as soon as The Franchise had been carted off.

Having experienced equal parts positive and negative, we were left to conclude … nothing.

No doubt, the Celtics will scrap the Tatum Offense next season and actually have time to work out the kinks of a return to mainstream basketball. You’re familiar with it.

It features a star player (Jaylen Brown) who actually makes clutch shots. A tremendous second option (Derrick White) who’s allowed to share the spotlight. And — get this — actual complementary pieces, rather than guys who stand on the perimeter and watch Tatum chuck up 3-pointers.

OK, money talks in the NBA and having it tied up in taxes has led to a very quiet offseason in Beantown. If only Tatum could be declared out for the season and his money used on another player, which actually could happen, but that’s taxable as well.

So wishful thinking goes poof.

We’re left with a reality that doesn’t sound like much. But Anfernee Simons gives them a better third scoring option than they had before; JD Davison is — get this — a real point guard; Jordan Walsh (all defense) and Baylor Scheierman (all offense) are a nice tag team; and Georges Niang, if nothing else, figures to treat Brown like he actually exists.

And don’t forget: Payton Pritchard gets to retain his same award-winning role.

You don’t have to worry about when Porzingis is coming back from his latest injury, and … the Celtics have done a good job of developing young talent (see Aaron Nesmith, Javonte Green and Guerschon Yabusele), so maybe it’s time to go out with the old (Holiday and Horford) and in with the new.

It might actually work in the Eastern Conference, where the top team (Cleveland) has to be questioning itself, its new chief rival (New York) has opted for a fun coach over a winner, and no one else matters.

If Atlanta, for crying out loud, is given a chance, then you know the door remains wide open for the Celtics to surprise …

As long as Tatum doesn’t play. Or even try to play.

The last thing this rejuvenated squad needs is in-game texts from Tatum to the broadcast crew, reminding them that this is his team and he’ll be back soon to rescue it.

Myth as he is known in some circles needs to follow in the unselfish Tyrese Haliburton direction and take the full season off, giving the unshackled talent a chance to develop a new identity and see what works best.

You know there’ll be daily updates on social media on Tatum. They’re already out there. Irritating, yes. But maybe not a bad thing in the long run (as long as it’s clear: no comeback this season).

Because if this new everybody-can-shoot-a-T approach works, the Celtics might be Eastern favorites again as early as the 2026–27 season.

Depending upon how much they could get for a fresh and healthy Tatum in a trade next summer.

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