Celtics’ Uncertain Future Gets Murkier With Tatum Achilles Rupture

Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s injury in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night was a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Celtics announced Tuesday.

The reigning NBA champions announced Tatum successfully completed surgery for the tear Tuesday and does not have a timeline for his return, but they do expect him to make a full recovery.

In the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden, Tatum lunged for a loose ball and immediately winced in pain, grabbing his right ankle. He was helped off the court without putting any pressure on his right foot and was later seen being pushed through the hallway in a wheelchair with his head in his hands. Tatum’s 42 points in 40 minutes were not enough to save his team, and the Knicks kept their lead to the buzzer with a score of 121–113.

Tatum’s injury severely threatens the Celtics’ hopes of a return to the Finals. Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porziņģis will try to crawl out of a 3–1 deficit Wednesday night in Boston.

Rupturing the Achilles means a full tear of the tendon, and recovering from the surgery can take 9 to 12 months. Former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers turned heads in late 2023 when he returned to practice just 77 days after his surgery for the same injury, but it ultimately took him a full year to return to game action. Still, even if the Celtics did find their way back in the Finals next month, Tatum playing would be unheard of.

Tatum is on a $315 million deal with the Celtics through the 2029–2030 season. He signed the richest contract in NBA history, followed by Brown, whose deal through 2028–2029 is worth nearly $304 million. Then adding Holiday, White, and Porziņģis, the starting five will make close to $200 million. The Celtics will likely need to offload to save on salary.

The total damage next season could be around $500 million in salary and tax penalties if they don’t trade any core players. Beyond the luxury tax, the NBA levies other punishments for hitting the second apron for multiple years.

All of these financial conundrums will likely fall on the shoulders of new Celtics owner Bill Chisholm, whose $6.1 billion purchase of the team was first announced in March. Front Office Sports reported earlier this month that Chisholm’s group had secured enough capital to finalize the deal, which was expected to close soon thereafter. The sale is set to be a two-part deal, and current owner Wyc Grousbeck will remain CEO and governor through the 2027–2028 season.

Whoever owns the Celtics will need to have a serious commitment to spending. When Chisholm’s deal was first announced, Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca said his own bid would have been deep-pocketed enough to “always compete for championships, luxury taxes be damned.” Chisholm has said he plans to aggressively spend for titles when he takes over in Boston.

The loaded Celtics who lifted the trophy last season is likely done as we know it. Tatum should make a return for Boston eventually—though as demonstrated by Dallas, trading away the franchise player is never completely out of the question—but who joins him on the court, and whether they’ll have the same success as the championship squad, remains to be seen.

This is a developing news story and has been updated.