Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum could make his NBA season debut on Friday, less than 10 months after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during last year’s playoffs.

Tatum was upgraded from “out” to “questionable” on Boston’s official injury report ahead of Friday’s matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.

The forward has been making steady progress in his recovery, including taking part in practice sessions with the Celtics’ NBA G League affiliate in February. However, both Tatum and the team had previously avoided putting a clear timeline on his return.

The six-time All-Star was carried off the court in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semi-final loss to the New York Knicks before undergoing surgery on May 13.

Tatum surprised many in September when he said during an interview on Today that he had not ruled out returning before the end of the current season.

The Celtics star, who helped United States men’s national basketball team win Olympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, has attended most of Boston’s games this season while continuing what he described as an “exhausting” rehabilitation process.

Despite Tatum’s absence, the Celtics have remained strong contenders, with fellow star Jaylen Brown emerging as a Most Valuable Player candidate and leading the team’s charge.

Boston entered Thursday’s games sitting second in the Eastern Conference, five games behind the Detroit Pistons and 1.5 games ahead of the third-placed Knicks.

Earlier this year, Tatum acknowledged on The Pivot podcast that his return could require adjustments within the current lineup.

“I haven’t played with these guys or with this group, but the Celtics have a lot of high-IQ guys out there,” he said. “So if that did present itself, and if I did come back, we professionals will figure it out.”