Jayson Tatum is one of the most talented young players in the NBA. But he's also realistic.
If the Boston Celtics pursue a trade for Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis this summer, there's a very good chance New Orleans would demand Tatum in return. The 20-year-old is the Celtics' No. 1 trade asset, after all, and the Pelicans would be silly to settle for anything less than a king's ransom in exchange for a player like Davis.
So, is landing Davis worth giving up Tatum? Celtics radio color commentator Cedric Maxwell believes so, and that led to a surprising admission from the player himself.
As Maxwell explained to host Adam Kaufman on CLNS' "Celtics Beat" podcast, Jayson Tatum's father, Justin Tatum, took exception to Maxwell's insistence that Boston should trade his son in a heartbeat if it meant acquiring Davis.
Maxwell continued (his story comes around the 40-minute mark of the podcast):
"Jayson Tatum's dad came to me ... and said, 'I've got a bone to pick with you. ... You said you'd trade my son for Anthony Davis.' And I said, 'And?' And he said, 'Well, I probably would trade him too if he wasn't my son.' "
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Maxwell then took that story to Jayson, who came right out with it.
"Yeah, I'd trade me too for Anthony Davis," Tatum told Maxwell.
Before Celtics fans take this the wrong way: Tatum isn't demanding a trade. He doesn't want out of Boston. He and his father simply are praising the talents of Davis, a transformative talent who's one of the top five players in the league. And if such a player becomes available, everyone should be on the table, even a budding young star like Tatum.
Apparently no one knows this more than Tatum himself. Score one for self-awareness.
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