The Los Angeles Lakers nearly completed one of the most miraculous comebacks in NBA regular-season history against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. The Lakers ultimately fell short, 121-113.
Jaylen Brown was the star of the game, scoring 40 points for Boston. However, that is not the Celtics star that Lakers fans are concerned with after the game.
That would be Jayson Tatum, who notably grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and was a massive fan of Kobe Bryant. Prior to his five-year extension with Boston, there was hope among Laker faithful that Tatum would don the colors of his favorite team.
Tatum re-ignited that hope after Thursday’s game, posting some cryptic photos on his Instagram story, all of which noticeably featured the Los Angeles Lakers logo.
https://twitter.com/TheLakeShowLife/status/1383482669481091077
Should Laker fans be getting excited that Tatum is going to eventually come home to his favorite team and stop playing for the team that he grew up hating?
Is Jayson Tatum on the horizon for the Los Angeles Lakers?
If we are just considering his contract, the answer is not anytime soon. He has another four years left on his deal and by that time, LeBron James will probably be out of the league.
However, this is the NBA and these new extensions do not mean what they used to. All it takes is a few bad seasons for the Celtics and Tatum could want out. Just like Anthony Davis, he could force a trade, making it clear where he wants to go to deplete the market.
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The Lakers currently do not have much ammunition to conduct a trade for Tatum, but things can change. In two years they could trade even more future draft capital and perhaps an evolved Talen Horton-Tucker, among other assets, for Tatum.
It won’t happen anytime soon, but there definitely is a reality in which Jayson Tatum is a future Laker.
Or the Lakers could simply wait until his contract is up and sign him as a free agent. He will be 27 when his contract expires and will be entering the prime of his athletic career. If all pans out, perhaps Tatum could be the one to bring in with Anthony Davis to eventually get the torched passed, much like LeBron will eventually pass the torch to Davis.
It definitely is a compelling dynamic and while AD will be older, he still should be one of the best players in the league when Tatum’s contract expires.
The Los Angeles Lakers certainly have a leg-up in any future potential sweepstakes for Jayson Tatum. For now, he is a Celtic. But that may not last forever.