Overview
- Stevens said Tatum is progressing through rehab benchmarks but remains short of an in-season return.
- Boston acquired center Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls for Anfernee Simons near the deadline, a move Stevens said was driven by positional needs rather than expectations of a quick Tatum comeback.
- The Celtics also moved Josh Minott, Xavier Tillman and Chris Boucher to drop below the luxury-tax threshold and create added flexibility.
- Tatum recently held an hour-long public workout in Detroit and told ESPN he has not decided whether he will play this season.
- Some analysts suggest any safe attempt to return likely requires game ramp-up by early to mid March, reinforcing the organization’s cautious stance.