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Jayson Tatum will make a ton of money when he signs his next contract in a few years. Danny Ainge will likely be the one who pays him, assuming nothing crazy happens with the Boston Celtics. But regardless, Tatum feels like Ainge owes him a little bit of money in the meantime.
Tatum appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast and joked about how he would've made more money if Danny Ainge took him first overall instead of trading down to the third pick to snag the lengthy swingman. Tatum told Simmons:
“I joke with Danny all the time, he should’ve just took me No. 1. I could’ve kept a few dollars of my paycheck. Tell (Ainge), ‘You owe me some money.'”
Tatum will make a few million dollars less as the third pick than he would've made as the first overall, so the Celtics are certainly getting their money's worth. Tatum impressed in his rookie campaign, but he really came into his own during the playoffs. Without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, Brad Stevens' team needed someone to become their go-to scorer. Tatum was just that.
Tatum averaged 18.5 points per game in the playoffs and helped an undermanned Celtics squad take LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the edge. Tatum scored 24 points and pulled in seven rebounds in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Although the Celtics would eventually falter, Tatum and Co. made it difficult on King James.
Tatum is a bargain for Ainge and the Celtics. When he begins negotiating his next contract he'll have to remind Ainge that he owes him some money.
