We suspect Jayson Tatum would play basketball on the moon if necessary.
The Boston Celtics forward addressed speculation surrounding his future Monday in a feature The Athletic’s Shams Charania wrote about him, saying he’ll play for any team. Tatum spoke about the rumors again just two-plus weeks after the NBA trade deadline, prior to which reports claimed he’d be the centerpiece of any Celtics trade offer for New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis.
“I’ll play basketball anywhere,” Tatum told The Athletic. “I’ll play for whoever wants me. That’s my job. I know I can’t control any of that stuff, so I’m not going to lose sleep over it. Trade talk doesn’t bother me. I’ll play for anyone.”
Tatum is averaging 16.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his second NBA season. Many already consider him among the Celtics’ present leaders and also reckon the team will build around him in the future.
The 20-year-old has publicly expressed his desire to play his entire NBA career in Boston but has accepted the fact of life that the NBA is a business, and teams will do whatever they believe is in their best interests. Tatum said earlier this month the trade talk doesn’t bother him, and the comments he made in the Athletic reinforce the message.
That’s probably the best approach for Tatum, as chatter surrounding a Davis trade will linger for the rest of the season and probably spike just after the NBA Finals.
