With less than 24 hours to go, the closer the NBA Trade Deadline gets, the less likely it appears that the league will see a trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics for Anthony Davis.
This essentially means Boston will have the best chance at Davis come summertime, but as Tracy McGrady pointed out Wednesday afternoon on ESPN’s The Jump, any off they throw at New Orleans needs to include Jayson Tatum.
Tatum has been the big piece for which the Celtics’ hopes of Anthony Davis hinge upon.
Many believe that the second year wing’s trade value is just above any players the Lakers can offer the Pelicans, and that, combined with some number of Boston’s many draft picks, would be the best return package for Davis.
Jayson Tatum has definitely been playing like an All-Star-to-be, even in a complementary role for the Celtics.
Through 54 games this season, he is averaging 16.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 3’s, 1.0 steal, and 0.9 blocks per game. His shooting has dipped a little, as he is shooting 37.2 percent from deep this season compared to 43.4 percent last season, but he is still playing impressively.
If things don’t shake out well for Boston, and they decide to hold on to Tatum come summertime, their offer for the Pelicans won’t be anywhere near as appealing.
Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams are all great pieces to be part of a trade, but none of them quite give Danny Ainge the bargaining power Jayson Tatum would.
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