After just one season at Duke, Jayson Tatum announced that he would be entering the 2017 NBA Draft. In a move that some questioned, Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge traded the team's No. 1 overall pick to the Philadelphia 76ers, hoping that Tatum would still be on the board at No. 3 overall — and he was.
Things have worked out well for both sides. However, as part of a recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast with former players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, the young Celtics star revealed that he was eyeing another team.
As Jay King passes along, Tatum wasn't sure if he would see a lot of playing time with the Celtics, who had just finished the 2016-17 campaign with the No. 1 record in the Eastern Conference (53-29). Instead of Beantown, the Missouri native had his eye on the Phoenix Suns:
Jayson Tatum, on the All The Smoke podcast, said he didn't initially want the Cs to draft him. They had just been the No. 1 team in the East. He didn't know whether he'd play a lot or have a chance to get buckets. He wanted to play in Phoenix instead.
Tatum: "It worked out."
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 11, 2020
Tatum has become a key member of the Celtics' rotation, and his numbers have improved with each passing season. Now in his third campaign with Boston, he's averaging 23.6 points on 44.8 percent shooting (39.8 percent from beyond the arc), 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes per outing.
Like many other players around the NBA landscape, Tatum is doing his best to stay in shape during the hiatus brought about by coronavirus pandemic. As part of his appearance on the podcast, he noted that he just got a hoop and has been working out in his garage:
“I'm doing good,” Tatum replied when asked how he's holding up in the midst of COVID-19. “Every day seems about the same. I've got my mom and my son up here. I'm eating good and I'm just enjoying quality time.
“I've got like a little gym in the garage,” Tatum added. “I make do what it do. I just got a hoop in the driveway to get some shots up. I haven't touched the ball since our last game in Indiana.”
The NBA decided to suspend the 2019-20 regular season back in March due to ongoing concerns with the virus. At this point, it's not clear when (or if) play will resume this year. Some officials around the league are hoping that games can be played at a later date.
The Celtics entered the hiatus with a 43-21 record.
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