Tatum not sure if Celtics need Durant amid trade speculation
The Celtics have been linked with a trade for Kevin Durant, but Jayson Tatum does not know if they need the two-time NBA champion.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum says Kevin Durant is a “great player”, but is unsure his team needs to bring the wantaway Brooklyn Nets man onboard. Two-time NBA Finals MVP Durant requested a trade out of Barclays Center last month following a 4-0 playoff exit to the Celtics. That sparked discussions between a host of sides and the Nets, with Boston also reportedly making enquiries into his availability.
Durant averaged 29.9 points per game in the regular season across 55 appearances, with only Joel Embiid (30.6) and LeBron James (30.3) averaging more, as well as 6.4 assists and 7.4 rebounds.
But while Tatum has tremendous respect for Durant, having played alongside him for the United States team as part of the Tokyo 2020 gold medal-winning squad, he thinks the Celtics already have the players they need onboard. “I played with [Durant] during the Olympics,” he said on Tuesday at the premiere of Showtime documentary ‘Point Gods’. “Obviously, he’s a great player, but that’s not my decision. I love our team. I love the guys that we got. We got two new pieces [in Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari]. I love our team. I just go out there and play with my teammates. I don’t put that [general manager] hat on to make decisions.”