“Nothing is Guaranteed”: Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Reveals Concerns of Players Approaching Free Agency

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he has tried to speak out in support of players approaching free agency or signing contract extensions at the end of the season.

Tatum himself will be eligible for an extension at the end of the season. He feels things look uncertain for players like him due to the NBA hiatus.

“Nothing is guaranteed,” Tatum said during a conference call on Tuesday (Via ESPN). “No matter if they say, ‘You’re young enough, no matter what you’re still getting paid.’ I think it’s still putting a lot on the line. I know a lot of people won’t really care that much because they feel like we make so much money, which is true, but there are a lot of guys.”

Tatum was the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He earned his first All-star selection earlier this year. Currently on a rookie-level contract, Tatum will almost certainly get an extension with Celtics later this year. Among other youngsters who came into the NBA along with Tatum are Sacramento Kings’ DeAaron Fox and Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell. The unexpected break in the NBA has made Tatum uncertain about such contract extensions and took part in the discussions between players’ union and the league.

“I mean, it makes sense. Everybody has their own reasons for not playing, and I don’t fault anybody. It’s a tough decision to go through. But yeah, I was voicing for them to make some type of adjustment that could give some guys some stability going into this time that’s so uncertain.”

It wasn’t a straightforward decision for Jayson Tatum to resume the season with Boston Celtics

Tatum will be getting ready for the league’s restart in Orlando. But it wasn’t until long ago that he was on the fence regarding his return. He was primarily concerned about his family. Tatum further said he had never been away from his son for a long time, something which kept nagging at him. However, he eventually decided to head into the bubble. He will be playing for the Celtics, who will be aiming for a deep post season run.