But he was worried his playing time wasn’t going to amount to much after he was drafted No. 3 overall by Boston in the 2017 NBA Draft. Those concerns grew when the Celtics signed Gordon Hayward. “I get drafted, Gordon Hayward signs with the Celtics.

Jayson Tatum reflects on early frustrations with the Celtics, considering a trade before a pivotal injury opened doors to his breakout success.

Shortly after the Boston Celtics drafted forward Jayson Tatum No. 3 overall out of Duke in the 2017 NBA Draft, they signed forward All-Star Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $128 million contract. The signing made Tatum question if he would get the chance to start or have a role on the team.

Jayson Tatum shares a candid trade admission about his early Celtics days after the team signed Gordon Hayward.

Before Tatum was selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA draft, many expected the Celtics, who initially had the No. 1 pick, to go with Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz. However, Boston elected to trade back two spots to grab the Duke product, allowing the Philadelphia 76ers to get Fultz.

During a recent appearance on Jeff Teague's "Club 520" podcast, Tatum admitted that after being drafted by Boston, he quickly contacted his agent for a trade. The reason behind his initial uncertainty with the franchise was the fact they acquired Gordon Hayward shortly after drafting Tatum with the third overall pick.