Jayson Tatum Reveals Celtics Pitch He Made to Damian Lillard
After Damian Lillard requested a trade, Jayson Tatum contacted him to convince him to join the Boston Celtics. Tatum disclosed what he said to Lillard in an appearance with “Toucher and Rich” on October 3 on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
According to Tatum, “Dame is someone I have a really great relationship with, known him for a long time,” as reported by Brian Robb for MassLive. “We were teammates on Team USA and shared a gold medal, so this person is someone I talk to frequently. If he ever thought about moving to Boston, I assured him they would love to have you.
Lillard requested a trade, which Tatum appreciated, and stated that his preferred team would be the Miami Heat. He still broached the subject with Lillard, though.
“I wasn’t trying to change his mind,” Tatum affirmed. “You have to respect someone’s decision when they’ve made up their mind. Occasionally, when we speak on FaceTime, I would tell him, “If you didn’t know, Boston is a great place.”
Lillard ultimately signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, so the Celtics would have to trade him one way or another if they wanted to return to the NBA Finals. Unavoidably, one wonders what the Celtics would have received in return for Lillard.
Jayson Tatum’s Thoughts on Jrue Holiday Trade
Even though the Celtics were unable to land Lillard, Jrue Holiday was a welcome consolation. On October 2, at media day, Tatum gave an explanation of his excitement for playing with Holiday.
“Jrue is a fantastic person and a tremendous player. The honor of being a member of the same Olympic team two years ago was mine. We took home the gold. He had a championship, therefore it goes without saying that he is well-liked in this league. Simply his demeanor and his ability to play on both sides of the ball. In an interview with NBC Sports Boston, Tatum remarked, “(We’re) incredibly happy and lucky to have him.
Holiday is a good stand-in for the Celtics’ starting point guard now that Marcus Smart is gone because he, too, is regarded as one of the league’s finest defenders and isn’t too bad offensively.
Jayson Tatum Says Goodbye to Former Teammates
Following news that the Celtics had acquired Holiday in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III, Tatum posted a farewell message to his old teammates on Instagram.
Tatum began by complimenting Brogdon on his behavior during his brief stint with the Celtics.
“Truly professional; I have nothing but admiration and respect for him. On his own Instagram story, Tatum wished his followers luck for the new year.
Then, Tatum bid Williams farewell after playing with him for all but one season of his NBA career prior to the trade.
“This was painful. Here, my brother. The hardest aspect of this business, thank you very much. I’m so proud of the player you’ve developed into and I can’t wait to watch where you go from here. Continue to strive to stand out while remaining true to yourself. My dog is 4L (for life) till we reunite. There is just love.
Tatum has experienced the highest level of roster turnover since joining the NBA, but as he previously stated, he understands that it’s a business.
