There is already one player from the Boston Celtics who has expressed his eagerness to play alongside Kyrie Irving. In a report by ESPN, 2017 number three pick Jayson Tatum shared what he felt before the Irving trade materialized and after it happened. Tatum admitted that ahead of the blockbuster deal between the Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was anxious. He "feared" that he could have been one of the players shipped to Cleveland for the All-Star point guard. There were reports that the Cavaliers were interested in the 19-year-old. The good thing was the Celtics held on to him, and now he will have the opportunity to team up with Irving, both of them played one-year of basketball for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University.
Tatum believes it's going to be "a lot of fun" to be with Irving on the court. He has nothing but good words for the former NBA champion who he called a "superstar in the league." Tatum and Irving will be joined by Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown as the leaders of the new-look Celtics.
Tatum likely to have the best career
In the recent rookie survey conducted by the NBA, Tatum was the co-leader on the list of rookies who were voted to have the best career in the league. The Celtics newcomer received 18.4 percent of the votes, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers' Lonzo Ball. Following him and Ball were the Phoenix Suns' Josh Jackson and the Dallas Mavericks' Dennis Smith Jr., who both got 10.5 percent.
Completing the top five was De'Aaron Fox who is with the Sacramento Kings.
Surprisingly, Tatum did not top the list for the Rookie of the Year awardee. The likes of Smith, Ball, and Markelle Fultz (Philadelphia 76ers) were the top vote-getters in the category. This may be upsetting to some, especially for Boston fans, considering that he displayed tremendous potential during the NBA Summer League.
Isaiah Thomas' hip injury concerned Boston
There are a few major reasons why Boston sent Thomas to Cleveland. According to reports, one of these is the hip injury the 5-foot-9 playmaker suffered in the 2016-17 NBA season. Thomas failed to be with the Celtics in the final games of their Eastern Conference Finals series versus the Cavaliers due to the health setback.
Until now, it is undetermined when the 28-year-old can return to the court. He is also reported to undergo a few more tests. This is bad news with training camp set to begin in late September. However, Thomas' hip woe is no longer a dilemma for the Celtics with him being shipped to Cleveland.
