Kevin Durant just finished participating in his 16th All-Star game on Sunday. With the 75th NBA All-Star Game now concluded, teams will now use the short break to prepare and recover for the second half of the 2025-26 season.
One of the biggest questions heading into the second half of the season is whether the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum will make his return from his Achilles injury. 16-time All-Star Durant shared his thoughts on Tatum’s potential return this year.
Kevin Durant Believes Jayson Tatum Would Still Be at an Elite Level
It’s been nine months since we last saw Tatum play on an NBA hardwood. Last May, JT suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon against the New York Knicks during Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs’ second round.
The injury took place late in the fourth quarter. Tatum attempted to hustle for the ball until his right leg suddenly gave out. Apparently, it was an Achilles injury that nobody, not even himself, saw coming.
Since then, the Celtics star has focused on getting back into game shape while slowly recovering from his severe injury. According to recent reports, Tatum is now participating in five-on-five scrimmages with the team, which is an optimistic sign.
Given his recent activity, there’s a chance that Tatum could soon be returning to the Celtics’ lineup. However, as of this writing, there are no official announcements regarding when Boston plans to play JT.
In a recent interview with Houston Rockets star Durant, the 16-time All-Star shared his expectations for when Tatum returns.
“I expect him to be at an All-Star level,” Durant said about Tatum’s return. “Obviously, at some point, he’s going to get there. I just think that early on, he might ease into it and figure out his rhythm … because that takes a while after being out for so long. I think he’s going to be right back to Jayson.”
KD on Tatum:
“I think he gonna be right back to Jayson” pic.twitter.com/LIO0PjO1F3
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) February 16, 2026
While it’s heartwarming to know that Tatum’s fellow All-Stars believe in him, the Celtics will reportedly remain cautious about their star’s return. Currently, Boston is in second place in the Eastern Conference despite not having Tatum.
Having that in mind, the Celtics are in no rush with JT’s recovery. Celtics President Brad Stevens said that he wants Tatum to be “110% healthy” before allowing his star player to take on the hardwood again.
