The Boston Celtics apparently were willing to mortgage only a part of their future in order to acquire Anthony Davis.
The Celtics weren’t “closed to the idea” of including Jayson Tatum in a trade offer for the NBA superstar big man, the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett reported Sunday, citing a New Orleans Pelicans source. However, the Celtics reportedly wouldn’t have included much else — valuable contributors and/or draft picks — in their offer.
Bulpett’s report contradicts previous rumors, which claim the Celtics refused to make Tatum available in negotiations with the Pelicans over Davis. The Celtics’ stance reportedly prompted New Orleans to re-focus on a potential trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, the other presumed favorite in the Davis sweepstakes.
The Lakers and Pelicans reportedly agreed Saturday to a trade that will send Davis to Los Angeles in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram and three first-round draft picks. Davis will join LeBron James and other teammates in an effort to restore the Lakers to championship-contending status, while the Pelicans will look to do the same with their bounty of young players and draft assets.
Tatum, 21, almost certainly will remain in place as a centerpiece of the Celtics’ core, which hopes to overcome the disappointment of 2018-19 and doggedly hunt championships next season and beyond.
