Jayson Tatum Isn't Fazed by Anthony Davis Trade Rumors: 'I'll Play for Whomever'

Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum said he isn't concerned with the trade speculation that followed him throughout the 2018-19 NBA season. 

"Trade rumors don't bother me," Tatum told Sopan Deb of the New York Times on Tuesday. "They're talking about trading me for guys like Anthony Davis. So, I mean, I must be doing something pretty well."

He added: "I love the game of basketball. Being traded is part of the game. I'll play for whomever. It's something I can't control."

Tatum appeared on the fast track toward stardom during the 2018 playoffs. He averaged 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals across 19 postseason appearances while helping lead the injury-riddled Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Jayson Tatum Highlight Reel

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The 21-year-old Duke product couldn't match that offensive production during the regular season following the returns of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, which gave Boston more depth, but also made it tougher for most players to see consistent touches.

Although the trade deadline passed in February, Tatum hasn't been able to fully escape the trade talk with the Celtics one of the teams potentially joining the offseason sweepstakes to acquire Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans following his trade request.

For now, however, the Celtics would love to see the Tatum that shined in last year's playoffs to make his presence felt once again.

He's off to a promising start with 41 total points on 17-of-31 shooting as Boston took the first two games of its opening-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.