Celtics star not involved in team decisions

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics star not involved in roster decisions

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 10/5/23

The Boston Celtics have had a busy summer. The franchise lost four key players from last season. However, they added two All-Stars in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. However, it would appear that Jayson Tatum tries not to get involved in roster decisions.

The Celtics forward recently told Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes that he found out about Holiday and Porzingis via Twitter, like everyone else.

"For the most part, I try to stay out of it," Tatum told Haynes. "I may have conversations with Brad about whether I would like to play with this guy one day or do I think he would be a good fit. I think that's with any organization...I saw on Twitter that we traded for Jrue Holiday and likewise with K.P. and trading Smart. I never want to get involved with things like that. My job is to show up and play. It's not my job to trade and handpick guys or anything like that."

Tatum has made similar comments in the past, most notably when the Celtics were rumored to be interested in Kevin Durant last summer. The St. Louis native often discussed his desire to focus on basketball. However, his opinion on potential additions will surely carry some weight within the front office. After all, you have to keep your franchise player happy.

Entering his seventh NBA season, Tatum has experienced significant postseason success. Since entering the NBA, the All-NBA forward has been to the Eastern Conference finals on four occasions, progressing to the NBA Finals once.

As he approaches his prime, Tatum wants to begin stacking championship rings. Adding elite talent to the Celtics roster will give him the best chance of doing so.

Yet, having the humility to defer those decisions to the front office, armed with a team of scouts and data analysts, is admirable. Tatum clearly trusts the Celtics organization to make the right decisions.

After a summer of change, he will quickly determine whether he was right to trust Brad Stevens or whether he needs to have a more vocal role in roster construction moving forward.

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