Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum's achilles injury in the first round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks raised a lot of question marks for

If a player is seriously injured, his team can apply for the disabled-player exception to replace him. An NBA-designed physician would have to determine that the player is “substantially more like than not” to be out through June 15 next season for it to be granted.

Boston's players have made a surprising prediction for the team's 2025-26 season outlook, even if Jayson Tatum doesn't return from his Achilles surgery.