Jayson Tatum Sounds Open to Becoming Face of Pelicans

Brian Windhorst recently talked with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon about the Anthony Davis trade situation on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoops Collective pod.

Jayson Tatum’s name came up in their discussion, and understandably so, since his name has been thrown in every AD trade package since Tatum  put on a Boston Celtics uniform. Heck, Tatum himself even said “I’d trade me too for Anthony Davis” recently.

There was one thing McMahon said about Tatum, though, that stuck out:

"“It’s gossip, but the gossip is Jayson Tatum wouldn’t mind. Jayson Tatum wouldn’t mind if he’s shipped to New Orleans and has a chance to be the face of the franchise somewhere. Because he’s not going to get that opportunity in Boston, at least not in the immediate future.”"

Unlike Lonzo Ball, who has made it known that he doesn’t want to go to New Orleans, Tatum seems to be up for being the face of the Pelicans organization.

While the Lakers have suffered from chemistry issues after dangling most of the roster in the trade negotiations, the Celtics — who also put most of their players into a Davis pitch — appear to be facing their own internal issues. Marcus Morris put it best:

Of course, a lot has to happen for this deal to even take place. The Pelicans would have to turn down the opportunity of dealing with the New York Knicks if they were to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Or the Lakers could add more to their initial offer, as they desperately try to pair AD with LeBron James before the King’s window closes. But, as my colleague Jason Lisk wrote a few days ago, while the Lakers offer looked solid, Tatum would be worth the most and has the most upside potential for the Pelicans. Either way, with the Pelicans not trading Davis before the deadline, we are going to get a chance to see which scenarios play out, which as a fan, is going to be fun.

The X-Factor in all of this is of course Kyrie Irving. Tatum could become the face of the Celtics if Irving leaves, but it honestly feels like no one knows what Kyrie is going to do at this point. The next few months are going to be interesting,