NBA Trade Rumors: Jayson Tatum would welcome trade to Pelicans?
NBA Trade Rumors: In the event that he would be traded over the summer, Jayson Tatum would be open to being the face of the Pelicans
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why Anthony Davis wasn’t moved at the NBA Trade Deadline was because of the possibility of him being moved during the off-season to the Boston Celtics. Why the Celtics, well because they have the most to offer in any hypothetical deal for Tatum.
And because of a NBA rule, they couldn’t trade for him as long as Kyrie Irving is on his current deal with the team. Meaning that they can’t formally make a legal offer for AD until Kyrie opts out of his current deal, and he can’t do so until July 1.
Assuming that the Celtics would be all-in on acquiring Davis, one of the main trade pieces that they would have part with would be Jayson Tatum, who is considered one of the best young players in the NBA right now.
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If the Celtics were to move on from Tatum, it’s wouldn’t be the end of the world for the second-year star. As was discussed in ESPN’s The Hoop Collective Podcast, Tatum would be open to the possibility of being the centerpiece of a franchise.
"[via Brian Windhorst and The Hoop Collective]Jayson Tatum wouldn’t mind if he’s shipped to New Orleans and has a chance to be the face of the franchise somewhere. Because he’s not going to get that opportunity in Boston, at least not in the immediate future."
Even if the Celtics managed to keep Tatum in trading for Davis, Tatum would (at best) be the third banana in Boston moving forward. And that’s assuming that they keep Kyrie Irving this summer. Tatum has all the talent in the world to be a star in the NBA.
However, he doesn’t currently have the opportunity with the Celtics. The one way that can feasibly happen is in the event that Kyrie were to leave during the summer, and Boston would elect not to pursue an Anthony Davis deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.
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If the Celtics have it their way, though, that’s not happening. Still, it’s at the very least somewhat interesting to know that Tatum would embrace being the face of the Pelicans in the even of a trade during the summer.