Boston Celtics: Pros and cons to offering Jayson Tatum max extension
By Josh Wilson
Celtics pro to extending Jayson Tatum: Lock young talent up
It’s hard to believe Jayson Tatum is just 22-years-old and in the midst of his third season in the NBA. It says a lot about how far he can go in this league.
Tatum has gotten to the point where he’s hardly looked at as one of the top players when you think of the league’s young talent. Named to his first All-Star game this season, he’s that good.
Young talent is important. Infusing it into your roster can keep your team moving for years at a time. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs have been so great for so long because they’ve continually drafted and developed players to place around their core.
The draft is an obvious place where you can gather youth, but this year’s draft is a tough one.
The Boston Celtics do have three first-round draft picks this year, but it might be in their best interest to trade those given the youth core they already have and the uncertainty surrounding the entire draft process this year.
Due to the inability to hold private in-person workouts or the NBA Draft Combine, teams know virtually nothing about most NBA draft prospects compared to previous years. Interviews must be done over video chat which inherently dilutes some of the personal connections teams can make with players.
Certainties with prospects don’t exist, and there are even more variables in the mix for NBA teams this season. The same can even be said for some of the league’s young players.
Tatum is an exception, given what the league has already seen from him at the NBA level. He allows the Celtics to remain spry while also becoming more competitive and established in the Eastern Conference. Other teams relying on talent from the draft or waiting patiently for their team to mature are shooting darts while blindfolded in 2020.
Offering Tatum a max extension is something he and his agent won’t turn down, and the Cs know what they’re getting.
Can we still even call Tatum young talent, given how good he is? Well, he’s still well below 25 years of age with apparent room to grow after his third NBA season.
Securing his potential is a worthy investment for the Celtics at this stage in his career.