During a recent interview, NBA MVP candidate and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum revealed he once told his agent to request a trade early in his career.
Jayson Tatum is on a path to being one of the greatest players in Celtics history. The face of the franchise is only 26 years old but already has gone to five All-Star games and helped lead the team to a record 18th NBA championship earlier this year.
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Tatum was the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and has been everything the Celtics hoped for and much more. However, during a recent chat with the “Club 520” podcast the Boston superstar revealed a little-known trade request he made during his rookie season.
- Jayson Tatum stats (2024-25): 30.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.9 SPG, 34% 3PT
Jayson Tatum wanted Boston Celtics to trade him after signing Gordon Hayward
“I get drafted, and then Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics. I called my agent and I was like, ‘Yo, I’ve got to get traded,'” he recalled. “I’m in summer league before I ever play an NBA game [asking for a trade]. He was like, ‘Relax. Just wait it out. You’ve got to chill.’
“I’m trying to play. I didn’t get drafted to come off the bench and not start. He was like, ‘You’re in a great organization. They’re going to teach you how to play the right way.'”
- Jayson Tatum contract: Five years, $313.9 million
Tatum’s fears were understandable. Hayward was an All-Star the season before and seemed to be a rising star in the game. Plus, the Boston Celtics gave him a four-year, $127.8 million deal in free agency. However, in his first game in Beantown, he suffered a broken tibia and dislocated ankle. He was never the same and it opened up a huge opportunity for Tatum.
The rest is history and the Celtics forward has become the top player on the best team in the NBA.
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