Jayson Tatum Initially Unaware If He Was in Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Thomas Trade

Boston Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum admitted that he didn't know if he was going to be traded on Tuesday as the rumors of Kyrie Irving being dealt to the Celtics became a reality. 

"I was watching [the trade news] on TV and I saw breaking news come across, so it was just as much of a shock to me as all the other fans," Tatum told Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com.

"I was just as surprised as everyone else [about the deal]," he continued. "I saw my name come up and I didn't know if I was going to get traded. ... It's all new to me. I haven't played an NBA game yet; I just came from college. I don't know how to handle all the trade talks. I was just like, 'Wow,' [when I] saw my name come up."

Tatum, of course, wasn't ultimately included in that deal. Instead, the Celtics acquired Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected 2018 first-round pick.

And Tatum seems excited about joining forces with a fellow Duke alum in Irving.

"I'm pretty sure it will be a lot of fun," he said. "[Irving is] a tremendous player. A superstar in this league."

The additions of Irving and Tatum were among the huge moves the Celtics made during a transformational offseason. The team also signed Gordon Hayward to a max deal and traded Avery Bradley to the Detroit Pistons for Marcus Morris. Amir Johnson, Jonas Jerebko and Kelly Olynyk departed in free agency, while Tatum was drafted by the Celtics at No. 3 overall after they traded to top overall pick to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Given all those moves, Tatum is set to have a major role for the Celtics in the upcoming season. While he won't start—Irving, Jaylen Brown, Hayward, Morris and Al Horford is a safe bet to be the team's starting 5—he'll see plenty of minutes in a reserve role and will be one of the first players off the bench, alongside guard Marcus Smart.

The Celtics sacrificed depth this offseason to add star power, but that, in turn, cleared up minutes for Tatum. And as Forsberg noted, "If Cleveland desired Tatum in this deal, Ainge was evidently more willing to include the Nets' pick instead. With growing hype about next year's draft class, that speaks volumes about what the Celtics believe Tatum can be in the future."

Certainly, the Celtics have positioned themselves to be major contenders for the foreseeable future. And Tatum is absolutely a major part of those plans.