Jayson Tatum Injury: Taking part in 5-on-5 work

Tatum (Achilles) has progressed to taking part in controlled 5-on-5 scrimmages against the Celtics' coaching staff, Shams Charania reported Sunday on ESPN's "NBA Countdown."

While Tatum remains without a timeline to make his 2025-26 debut after undergoing surgery May 13 to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon, he's continuing to reach new milestones in his rehab process and thus far appears to have avoided any major setbacks. Per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, Tatum said Jan. 29 that he hasn't decided whether he'll attempt to play at any point this season, and if he does make a late-season return, the Celtics aren't expected to clear him until he's 100 percent confident in his surgically repaired Achilles. The rehab and recovery process for Achilles surgeries is typically around 9-to-12 months, with Wesley Matthews and Kobe Bryant being the lone past examples of NBA players who have returned from the injury in eight months or fewer.