Derrick White Shares Update on Jayson Tatum’s Recovery

Derrick White said Jayson Tatum is moving well and making progress in his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon, offering an encouraging update Wednesday even as the Celtics lost 118-89 to the Charlotte Hornets — their worst defeat of the season.

"He looks good. Playing, moving," White said. "It's been good to see him back and getting up and down. You kind of see all the work he's put in to get to this point. And it's been great to see him be able to do what he loves to do."

The comments came on a rough night for Boston. The Celtics suffered their largest loss of the 2025-26 season at the hands of a Charlotte team that led from wire to wire, won by 29 points, and extended its winning streak to six games. Jaylen Brown scored 20 points but was critical of his team's effort afterward, and coach Joe Mazzulla was equally blunt. The defeat dropped Boston to 41-21 and snapped a three-game winning streak.

The 28-year-old forward ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the closing minutes of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on May 12 at Madison Square Garden. Boston announced surgery the following day. He has not played since.

Now roughly 10 months removed from that procedure, Tatum appears to be closing in on a return. The typical recovery timeline for an Achilles rupture in NBA players is 10 to 12 months. Last week, Tatum was a full participant in five-on-five scrimmages and is focused on building conditioning and increasing strength in both calves.

Tatum himself has not been shy about his intentions. In the third episode of "The Quiet Work," a documentary chronicling his recovery, orthopedic surgeon Martin O'Malley told him he was confident Tatum would return as the same player he was before the injury. Tatum's response was direct.

"Ain't come back to be no role player, doc," he said.

Publicly, Tatum has made clear that his season debut will come at TD Garden. That pledge has kept every remaining Boston home game in play as a potential return date. The Celtics host Dallas on Friday, and with the regular season winding down, the window for Tatum to log meaningful games before the playoffs is shrinking.

Last season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists before the injury. A six-time All-Star with five All-NBA selections, a championship and the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals MVP on his resume, Tatum finished in the top six in MVP voting in each of the last four seasons. Boston has stayed in the Eastern Conference's top tier without him, but a healthy Tatum would give the Celtics a different look entirely as the postseason approaches.

For now, his teammates are watching him work and like what they see.