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Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, CJ McCollum Tease Jayson Tatum Amid Contract Rumor
May 30, 2020
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell joked with Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum on Saturday regarding the likelihood that Tatum is in line for a massive contract extension.
Mitchell tweeted the following to Tatum in response to a tweet about ESPN's Brian Windhorst's report that the Celtics will "most likely" offer Tatum a maximum contract extension during the offseason:
Tatum can become a restricted free agent after next season, so while the Celtics don't necessarily have to extend him immediately, they would likely prefer to enter the 2020-21 campaign without any question marks surrounding Tatum's future with the organization.
Mitchell is in the same exact boat as Tatum, and all signs point to him landing a max extension in the near future as well.
A couple of other NBA stars in Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young also chimed in with their belief that there is no doubt about Tatum's impending max extension:
Tatum was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, and after taking a slight step forward in his second season, he truly broke out during the 2019-20 campaign.
In 59 games before the coronavirus pandemic caused the season to be suspended, Tatum was averaging career highs with 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.8 three-pointers made per contest. He was also shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc.
The 22-year-old was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, and he has the Celtics third in the Eastern Conference at 43-21, meaning they will play playoff basketball if and when the 2019-20 season resumes.
Tatum is one of the fastest-rising stars in basketball, and there is no question that the Celtics will do whatever it takes to retain him and make him the face of the franchise moving forward.