May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks to pass in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Celtics' Jayson Tatum Receives Shocking Future Prediction From NBA Insider

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Injured six-time All-Star Boston Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum, who will likely miss all of 2025-26 recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture, has surprisingly popped up a lot in a recent poll of ESPN NBA insiders, as compiled by their Worldwide Leader colleague Tim Bontemps.

When asked who will be the league's best player five years from now, in 2030, 16 NBA experts voted for All-Star San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, still just 21. Two panelists voted for five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic, 26. One voted for the league's reigning MVP, 27-year-old point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But one voted for Tatum, also 27.

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Bontemps notes that Wembanyama was voted the likeliest player to be the league's top talent down the road for the second straight season.

"There's no one that has that shot profile," one Western Conference assistant raved regarding Tatum. "He's what everyone wishes they have: A 6-foot-10 guy who shoots 3s, gets to the rim and gets fouled."

In a somewhat-related poll, two panelists believed Tatum would still be the best American player five years from now. Three-time All-Star Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards was the runaway winner of this poll, earning 11 votes. Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg nabbed five. All-Star Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero and All-NBA Oklahoma City Thunder champion Jalen Williams each earned one vote apiece.

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"I don't see anyone else catching [Edwards] by then," a West scout told Bontemps. "And it's unfair to Cooper to put that on him before playing in one NBA game. So, it's Ant until proven otherwise."

The five votes for Flagg, who has yet to play a single NBA game, were a bit surprising. But clearly, league experts are bullish on his upside.

"He can do everything," one Eastern Conference executive reflected on the No. 1 pick in June's 2025 NBA Draft.

Can Tatum Level Up When He Returns?

When healthy, Tatum has been spectacular. A five-time All-NBA honoree, his versatility on both ends of the hardwood have made him one of the most lethal players in the league already.

Across 72 healthy regular season games last year, the 6-foot-8 Duke product averaged 26.8 points on .452/.343/.814 shooting splits, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists a night.

Very few players can recover their pre-Achilles tendon form, but Tatum is young and athletic enough that he at least has a chance to buck that trend, much like Kevin Durant did when he returned to the Brooklyn Nets in 2020-21.