Jayson Tatum told Damian Lillard during the summer that the Boston Celtics would love to have him. Lillard and Tatum spoke a few times after the former requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard, who wanted to get traded to the Miami Heat, was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks and Tatum revealed in an NBA interview with Toucher and Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub that he didn’t take any offense to Lillard passing on his overtures.
“Dame is someone I have a really great relationship with, known him for a long time,” Tatum said. “We played on Team USA together, won a gold medal, so somebody I talk to frequently. I told him Boston would love to have you if he ever considered it.
“I wasn’t trying to change his mind. When someone has their mind made up, you have to respect it. We talk on FaceTime from time to time, so every once in a while I would tell him Boston is a great place if you didn’t know.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Damian Lillard Updates
“People like what they like and that’s fair. If people want to go somewhere, you can’t be mad at him. Everyone is entitled to feel what they feel and they should be able to go where they want.”
The Celtics may not have gotten Lillard, but they did acquire Jrue Holiday, who is one of the best defenders in the NBA. Boston is expected to start Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Tatum and Kristaps Porizingis this season.
Many NBA pundits believe the Celtics and Bucks will face each other in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. Milwaukee has a Big 3 of Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, while Boston’s Big 3 is Tatum, Brown and Holiday.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Damian Lillard Updates
The Celtics lost to the Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals in seven games. Meanwhile, the Bucks fell to the Heat in the first round of the 2023 postseason.
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