Breakdown
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March 6, 2026
Starting in return
Tatum will be in the Celtics' starting lineup for Friday's game against the Mavericks, Bobby Krivitsky of Forbes.com reports.
Analysis
Tatum has been cleared to make his 2025-26 debut Friday after 10 months of rehabbing from a torn right Achilles that he suffered in May. Per Krivitsky, head coach Joe Mazulla did not mention any sort of minutes restriction during Friday's press conference, but it's hard to imagine Tatum playing significant minutes in his return. Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser figure to be the top candidates to move to the bench to make room for Tatum in the starting five.
March 6, 2026
Available to make season debut
Tatum (Achilles) will make his season debut Friday against Dallas, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.
Analysis
Tatum is officially off the injury report and will make his return to the court after 10 months of rehab. He's returning ahead of schedule and has been playing 5-on-5 at practices for the past month. Needless to say, but he's likely to have some restrictions right out of the gate.
March 5, 2026
Season debut expected Friday
Tatum (Achilles) is listed questionable for Friday's game against the Mavericks, with Shams Charania of ESPN relaying that the forward is expected to make his season debut.
Analysis
Per Charania, Tatum "has been described as ready to go" less than 10 months after undergoing surgery for a ruptured right Achilles tendon, and the six-time All-Star appears likely to debut Friday at home versus Boston if he makes it through shootaround without issue. Tatum, who has been a full participant in 5-on-5 scrimmages for more than a week, is likely to face a significant minutes restriction if he plays Friday. Expect the Celtics to manage Tatum's playing time carefully for the remainder of the regular season with the hope that he's capable of handling something closer to full workload by the time the postseason gets underway.
