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NBA stars that suffered Achilles injuries in 2024-25 season

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Derick Quinanola | Last updated May 22, 2025 12:17 PM ET

Injuries are never a welcome sight. In the 2024-2025 NBA season, there has been a surprising spike in the number of players suffering from an Achilles-related injury.

That growing list now includes Jayson Tatum. The Celtics star tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the second round of the playoffs versus the New York Knicks. He now joins five other players who suffered a similar injury this year, further increasing pressure on the league to shorten the regular season.

Damian Lillard

Lillard’s injury happened about two weeks earlier than Tatum’s. Lillard’s availability was already in doubt way before the playoffs started due to a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in Lillard’s right calf.

He missed 15 games (14 in the regular season, one in the playoffs) before suddenly returning to the court for Game 2 against the Pacers. Unfortunately, in the first quarter of Game 4, Lillard’s season was over after trying to go for an offensive rebound.

Dejounte Murray

The New Orleans Pelicans traded for Dejounte Murray last offseason in hopes of acquiring a two-way point guard that would complete their goal of having one of the more imposing perimeter defenses in the league. Instead of building on their first-round exit in the 2024 playoffs, the Pelicans were riddled with injuries from the get-go.

Murray missed the first 17 games of their season due to a fractured hand. Thirty-one games later, he sustained a noncontact leg injury in the first quarter against the Celtics that turned out to be a torn Achilles.

Dru Smith

Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) reacts while dribbling the basketball against Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Dru Smith was fighting for his next NBA contract. He was a two-way player for the Miami Heat and wanted to show everyone that he was fully healthy after suffering a torn ACL the previous season.

In the second quarter of his 14th game of the 2024-25 season, the basketball gods had other plans for Smith. This was another case of a noncontact torn Achilles tendon injury as Smith fell to the ground after losing the ball trying to shake off Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson.

Isaiah Jackson

Isaiah Jackson’s minutes with the Pacers were always sporadic. However, in a contract year, Jackson was determined to earn his next contract. But in the fourth quarter of his fifth game of the season, Jackson landed awkwardly while trying to go for a rebound, ending his season after an MRI revealed he tore his right Achilles tendon.

James Wiseman

This one hurts. James Wiseman has always struggled with injuries over his career, but this one might’ve been the final nail in the coffin. In the Pacers’ first game of the season against the Pistons, Wiseman had to cut his season short because of a torn Achilles.

By the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Pacers shipped him to the Raptors for cash and a Top 55 protected pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Once the deal was final, the Raptors immediately waived Wiseman.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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