Celtics’ Brad Stevens Sends Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum Message

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 3:17 PM ET

The Boston Celtics entered the offseason facing significant uncertainty about their championship core. Six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum is currently rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered during the Eastern Conference semifinals and is widely expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season. Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, recently underwent minor knee surgery and has been ramping up rehab to return ahead of training camp.

The Celtics also made sweeping roster changes over the week, trading guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks, with more roster change potentially on the way.

Amid these shifts, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed the media after Wednesday’s NBA Draft. Stevens gave an update on Tatum and Brown, praising both players’ shared commitment to their recoveries:

“They’ve both prioritized getting better and rehabbing,” he stated during draft-night remarks. “After a long season, I appreciate that about them,” confirming that both Tatum and Brown have been working out at the Auerbach Center frequently this offseason.

Brad Stevens said Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been in the Celtics practice facility “very frequently” this offseason.

“They’ve both prioritized getting better and rehabbing. And after a long season, I appreciate that about them.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) June 26, 2025

Stevens noted that Tatum is making solid progress but emphasized that the team will not impose any return timeline. “It’s baby steps right now,” he said when discussing Boston’s cautious approach to his rehabilitation (via ESPN).

Following a championship run in 2024, Boston finished second in the Eastern Conference last season, but fell short to the New York Knicks in the Conference Semifinals. While they may not return next season as a title-contending team, the Celtics will still hope to compete in the playoffs next year.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: