In a twist that only hindsight can make hilarious, Jayson Tatum once tried to pull a disappearing act from Boston before his career even took off. The man now celebrated as a cornerstone of the Celtics franchise once saw his dreams flash before his eyes—all because of a certain 6-foot-7, $128 million forward signing.
On a recent episode of Jeff Teague’s “Club 520 Podcast,” Tatum dropped a gem that had fans scratching their heads. As a rookie, when the ink had barely dried on his Celtics contract, he actually called his agent in a panic. Why? The Celtics had just signed Gordon Hayward, an All-Star coming off a career-best season with the Utah Jazz.
“I get drafted, and Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics,” Tatum recalled. “I called my agent like, ‘Yo, I gotta get traded. I’m trying to play, not sit on the bench.’” A rookie demanding a trade before playing a single NBA minute? Bold move.
His agent’s advice was simple yet sage: “Relax. Wait it out. You’re in a great organization.” Translation: Pump the brakes, kid; you’re not exactly LeBron yet.
Turns out, that agent knew a thing or two. Hayward’s debut season lasted a whopping five minutes before a devastating ankle injury derailed his Celtics career. Tatum, instead of battling for minutes, found himself in the spotlight almost instantly, starting alongside Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford. As luck would have it, Tatum had all the room he could’ve hoped for to grow—and grow he did.
The Celtics, a team freshly retooled after losing to LeBron’s Cavaliers in the playoffs, had big plans with Hayward, Irving, and their young talent. But Hayward’s injury threw the door wide open for Tatum, who ran with the opportunity. Fast-forward seven seasons, and Tatum is a franchise superstar, a 2024 NBA champion, and a regular MVP contender—meanwhile, that rookie angst feels like a distant memory.
It’s easy to forget how Tatum’s NBA journey could’ve taken a completely different turn had the Celtics taken another route on draft day. They held the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft but swapped it with Philadelphia for the No. 3 pick and a 2019 first-rounder. The 76ers took Markelle Fultz, the Lakers nabbed UCLA’s own Lonzo Ball, and Boston… well, they landed Jayson Tatum. Not bad, right?
Today, Tatum is the Celtics’ heartbeat, as intrinsic to Boston’s success as the parquet floor itself. That early trade request now seems as funny as it is ironic. Imagine the franchise trading away its future all because a nervous rookie panicked about minutes. Safe to say, Celtics fans are glad the team held its ground. And while Tatum didn’t get to play in Lakers purple to honor his idol, Kobe Bryant, he’s now cemented his own legacy with Boston green—and a 2024 championship banner to boot.
One thing’s for sure: somewhere, Tatum’s agent is probably sipping coffee, watching his client’s ascent, and laughing about that rookie phone call.
