Celtics forward Torrey Craig has provided an update on recovering All-Star forward Jayson Tatum. In an interview with CLNS Boston’s Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell on their show “The Garden Report” (YouTube video link), Craig spoke about Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles surgery.
Tatum is currently four weeks into his rehabilitation, having torn the tendon in Game 4 of an eventual second round playoff series loss to New York.
“(I) see him smiling and laughing and joking around,” Craig said. “I just look forward to his recovery, the progress he’s making, and it’s always good to see him in good spirits.”
Craig, 34, is an unrestricted free agent this summer. With Tatum on the shelf through much or all of 2025/26, he may be an option the team considers on another minimum-salary contract as it looks to fill out its wing depth.
There’s more out of Boston:
- The Celtics’ newest guard, Anfernee Simons, asked to be traded away from Portland even ahead of the 2024/25 season, a source informs Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). According to Washburn’s source, Simons – an Orlando-area native – had been interested the Magic. Orlando addressed its scoring guard needs with its blockbuster deal for Desmond Bane earlier this summer, but Simons eventually got the change of scenery he sought.
- Although the Celtics have yet to officially be sold to new majority owner William Chisholm, the club’s impending sale is still on track to be approved and finalized in the not-too-distant future, sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
- Thanks to their deals of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics are now below the NBA’s punitive second luxury tax apron. Brian Robb of MassLive takes a look at potential next steps for Boston following those deals.
- During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” (YouTube video link), NBA insider Brian Windhorst confirmed colleague Shams Charania’s report that the Celtics are getting calls about stars Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Windhorst suggested that Boston’s decision on whether or not to move those players may happen sooner rather than later. “There are teams in the top 10 (of tonight’s draft) who are making offers,” Windhorst said. “And you’d potentially be able to get replacement players and a draft pick. I don’t know if Brad Stevens and his staff is in love with one of these top guys. Maybe they are. But that’s what is on the table. … I say at midnight, Jaylen Brown is still a Celtic and Derrick White is still a Celtic, and they run it back, and they get ready to go in ’26/27.”
Jaylen Brown isn’t going anywhere unless they get back a current NBA star who is as young (or younger) than Brown and some draft pick compensation too. I don’t see any team willing to make such a deal for Brown.
Derrick White is extremely important to Boston, but he probably could be had for the right price. A solid, young NBA guard and multiple first round picks could pry White anyway from Boston.
I wouldn’t trade either one but I’d be more inclined to trade Brown. White’s a better shooter, defender and playmaker and most importantly he makes less than half the salary Brown does.
SAS can make a compelling offer in the next 4 hrs but outside that, yea don’t see it
Remember when we were all worried about if Brown would have positive value at this point when he signed that massive contract? We got that answer….
Boston front office has put on a clinic this decade, Id trust them with anything
Even Nico (the worst GM in NBA history) would not pay that for good players, but not great players, not stars.
Both Stay IMO…let’s see Brown as the #1 for a year…he makes 300 mill just like Tatum…
Every team is taking calls. See what Bane went for? Good luck. Could, would, rumours.
I wouldn’t be shocked if they both stayed or if they were both traded.
If teams inside the top 10 are indeed asking about either of them, then Stevens should listen.
Getting value for Brown will be hard, while getting comparable value for White would be much easier just based on dollars and cents.
As a Celtics fan, trading either of them (am admittedly a HUGE Derrick White fan) would be hard to take.
I understood the Holliday trade (amazed that the C’s were able to fleece the Trail Blazers not once but twice with Holliday- sad to see him go), and while I dig Porzingis, his injury track record is shaky. I hope he stays healthy in Atlanta, because when healthy, he’s a stud… when healthy.
Stevens needed to get the team under the second apron- he’s done that without offloading the entire starting 5, and even gained some assets in return- and can realistically get them out from under any tax bracket this off season. How/if White and Brown play into this remains to be seen, but either way, what Stevens has done has been remarkable- and bittersweet for C’s fans.