When Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the Celtics' conference semifinals loss the the New York Knicks, everything about Boston's immediate future changed.
But what won't change is the Celtics' front office's prudence in making sure he has the space and time to make a full recovery.
Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month. But asked about whether the team had put a potential timeline on Tatum's return, Stevens was definitive that there would be no rushing the star's rehabilitation.
"We don't and we won't," Stevens said Wednesday night following the first round of the NBA draft. "We won't put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time. ... It's baby steps right now. He's actually progressed great, but I don't know what that means in regard to projected timelines. But that will be in consultation with him ... and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy. And that will be the priority."
Tatum is expected to miss most if not all of next season. It has already had implications for next season, with the team opting to trade Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday - both key contributors from the 2024 title team - in an effort to get the team's salary under the luxury tax second penalty apron.