Mavericks' tank just got a massive boost from stunning Jayson Tatum rumor

The Dallas Mavericks have now lost 13 of their last 15 games after scoring just 87 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night, and some major news on the injury front is exactly what they needed. Bill Simmons recently reported that Jayson Tatum is nearing his return to the court after tearing his Achilles during the NBA Playoffs last year, and it looks like it'll be Friday night against the Mavs.

"Tatum, it feels like it’s gonna be Friday," Simmons said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. "All signs are pointing to Friday, Dallas."

Why Mavericks fans may secretly love Jayson Tatum's return

The Mavericks begin a six-game road trip tomorrow night against the Charlotte Hornets, but their third game of this trip is Friday night at TD Garden against the Boston Celtics. This game is set to air on ESPN, and if Tatum makes his long-awaited return with the whole world watching, this is incredible news for Dallas.

Tatum has been out since May 12 of last year, and him potentially returning this quickly would be remarkable. He has been dialed in on coming back for months now, and while he has been noncommittal about playing this season, he has been working extremely hard on getting his body right all season.

It remains unclear how reliable Simmons' report is, but if the rumors are true and Tatum does play against Dallas, this is an all-around great development for NBA fans as well as the Mavs' need to tank.

The Mavericks won't be favored to beat the Celtics on the road, even if Tatum doesn't return, but him possibly coming back puts Boston in an even better position to take down Dallas and make them sink even further in the standings. They need to lose as many games as possible down the final stretch of the season to secure the best-possible odds of receiving a favorable lottery pick, and every single game matters.

One unexpected win or loss could change the lottery standings considerably, given how close they are, and Tatum coming back this Friday for a 2024 NBA Finals rematch would be music to many Mavericks fans' ears.

Why every loss matters for the Mavericks' draft hopes

The NBA is cracking down on tanking, and fans that want the team to tank will definitely be interested to see if Tatum plays in this game.

The Mavs are only three games ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz in the standings, and a few extra losses to finish off this season could propel them to have top-five odds of receiving the No. 1 overall pick in this summer's draft. Dallas currently has the seventh-worst record in the NBA at 21-39, but they could easily climb to sixth over the next few weeks depending on how New Orleans does.

The Pelicans play the Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, and Mavericks over the next two weeks, and some wins combined with some Dallas losses is exactly what the Mavs need.

Dallas doesn't fully control any of their own first-round picks after this season until 2031, giving them a great excuse to tank to find a co-star for Cooper Flagg. This is the one year that they have a valid reason to tank and focus on the future, and fans will be eyeing the standings like hawks to see how things shake out over the final six weeks of the season.

The Mavericks have the fourth-hardest remaining schedule in the NBA, which already puts them in a good spot to rise in the lottery standings, but they'll take all of the help that they can get. Dallas' roster is good enough on its own to win some games here and there, and Tatum coming back would all but guarantee that another loss is on the way this Friday.