“I got a lot of doctors I gotta get evaluated with. [Gotta] see the potential for surgery versus no surgery, wait to speak to the organization. For now, it’s just rest and recovery. I’m taking a step back from a long season”. Jaylen Brown’s remarks in the aftermath of the Boston Celtics’ elimination showed the extent of his knee injury. Neither the player nor the Celtics front office had been fully open about the same, as Brown continued to push on during the playoffs.

While an elimination was not what the defending champions wanted, it gave the 28-year-old the chance to evaluate his options and act upon them soon. Brown recently returned to the headlines for doing exactly that, and getting an idea of when he would return to the court. Before we can discuss that, however, let us do a deep dive into this issue.

What Happened to Jaylen Brown?

It is not known exactly when Jaylen Brown developed the ailment in his knee. However, around mid-February, the Celtics began to claim that Brown was dealing with a right knee impingement. By March, it was reported that the player had been dealing with nagging right knee pain. The same caused him to miss 6 regular-season games in a 13-game span.

Brown didn’t speak more about the ailment until after a loss to the Miami Heat in early April. He admitted, “I was in some pain today. But you know, just pushing through it, trying to find ways to still be aggressive and add value to the team and stuff like that. Just something I gotta work through and manage.”

That same month, an ESPN report revealed that Jaylen Brown had been receiving pain management injections in his right knee right before the playoffs began. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed the validity of the report. However, he also claimed that the injections were “Just part of the rehab process for him to get back to be his absolute best. He’s continuing to take care of himself and put himself in great position to be ready for the postseason.”

Jaylen Brown then went on to play in all of the Celtics’ postseason games. According to reports, it was apparent that the player’s typical prowess was lacking in the playoffs. Despite that, he pushed on and averaged 22.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 11 games.

The big shoe was dropped after the Celtics’ elimination. Only a few hours after Game 6 of the Celtics-Knicks series, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne broke the news that the small forward had “finished the season with a partially torn right meniscus”. He was placed for re-evaluation that week to determine whether the player needed surgery or not.

Did Jaylen Brown get surgery?

After the diagnosis was revealed in the aftermath of the Celtics’ elimination, no further updates were given out about Jaylen Brown’s condition. That is, until a few hours ago. The official X account of the Boston Celtics recently announced that Brown had undergone a successful right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure. The surgery was described as a ‘surprise’ by several media outlets, as no indication regarding the same had been given out over the last few days. According to a statement by the team, the surgery focused on cleaning out the knee to ensure its optimal function.

Around the same time that the news broke, Brown took to his official Instagram account. The post he shared highlighted him on the hospital bed, smiling for the camera in the aftermath of the surgery, while his grandfather Willie Brown stood beside him. The official X account of the Celtics reposted the picture and added a caption that read “On the road to recovery 💪🏾”. Speaking of which….

When is Jaylen Brown expected to return?

Along with the news about the surgery, ESPN’s Shams Charania also added a positive update about the player’s return. He revealed that “Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to be ready for 2025-26 training camp”. The Celtics confirmed this and added that Brown will participate in training camp “without limitation”. Therefore, Brown will be returning to the NBA court at the same time as his teammates when training camp begins in October.

As highlighted by ‘Celtics Wire’ reporter Adam Taylor, Jaylen Brown’s early return would be good news for more than one reason. After all, Jayson Tatum continues to be ruled out of the rotation due to an Achilles tendon tear he sustained during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. If the Jordan Brand athlete does not recover by the start of training camp, then Jaylen Brown will have to assume a leading role for the franchise. If his resilience at playing through the playoffs despite the injury showed anything, it is that Brown does love a challenge.

Jaylen Brown now has at least 3 full months of recovery ahead of him. It will certainly be a positive sign if we hear news of the player engaging in some practice even before training camp commences. Then again, no pressure. Jaylen Brown, you take your time.