The Boston Celtics will never be at risk of losing their top superstar, 4x NBA All-Star and soon-to-be 3x All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, as long as the team continues to show up every year in the postseason — this, at least, according to an anonymous Eastern Conference general manager who spoke to Heavy’s Sean Deveney (h/t Heavy’s Mark Nilon).
“They have done nothing but make Jayson Tatum feel welcome there, make him feel like he is part of a line that goes back to Bill Russell, [John] Havlicek, Sam Jones, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, all the Celtics greats,” the GM prefaced before saying, “As long as they are continuing to win, I don’t think you’re going to hear anything negative from Tatum about wanting to leave.”
Tatum has been a starter for the Celtics in every single game he’s played since being selected No. 3 overall during the 2017 NBA draft. Every single season he’s been in Boston, the team has been to the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics may need to win in order to keep Jaylen Brown
Should Jaylen Brown make an All-NBA team, it seems highly likely he’d take a maximum contract from the Boston Celtics as soon as he gets the chance. That by no means assures No. 7 will end his career with the Cs, though.
Brown has arguably been the team’s top playoff performer, but the 26-year-old isn’t always viewed in the same light. If Tatum is Paul Pierce, Brown has been treated as a Kevin Garnett-Ray Allen hybrid, but no matter the designation, he hasn’t been treated like a one-franchise star who is the best player on his team. He often is, though.
Perhaps the team’s treatment of Brown wouldn’t affect a possible decision to leave, since he has often voiced his displeasure about the city of Boston. But if it would, winning seems like the only way to refocus Brown’s potentially wandering eyes.
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