The Boston Celtics almost lost both legends Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for a reason that suddenly revealed itself and startled everyone.
Former Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge just revealed one of the blockbuster deals he is thinking about, which is trading both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Extending the rich history of one of the most traditional teams in the NBA, young star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics are regularly among the top teams in the East, competing for championships.
Recently, Jaylen Brown just received the first $300 million contract in league history, sticking with Tatum and the Celtics until 2029.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will be the two main pillars of the Boston Celtics in the future
It is not difficult to recognize that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are the two leading factors of the current Boston squad. But one thing that few people know is that the Celtics almost didn’t have these two young stars.
Back about 8 years ago, when Mr. Danny Ainge was still the professional president of the TD Garden team, Boston noticed Jimmy Butler (who is playing very well for the Chicago Bulls right now).
Back in 2015 and 2016, Jimmy Butler became a star and was on the radar of the Boston Celtics.
Mr. Ainge recounted this story in a recent podcast with The Players’ Tribune as follows: “At that time I really wanted to recruit Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls because I knew that this was a very talented player.
I like his fighting spirit and the way he plays, so I want to bring Jimmy back to Boston. But at that time, Chicago asked for a very high price, so after consideration, I stopped the transaction.”
The former Celtics president further explained that the Bulls then wanted at least two of Boston’s first-round picks, which soon became Jaylen Brown (pick 3 in 2016) and Jayson Tatum (pick 3 in 2017).
Mr. Danny Ainge (right) and Jayson Tatum at the press conference after the 2017 NBA Draft
At the time he was targeted by the Boston Celtics, Jimmy Butler was an All-Star and gradually becoming a complete defensive player. On one hand, he is the team’s top scorer. At home, Butler will accompany the opponent’s number one scorer.
After parting ways with the Chicago Bulls at the end of the 2016-17 season, Butler joined the Minnesota Timberwolves and was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers before remaining with the Miami Heat for the past four seasons.
Even though he chose his own path, Jimmy still proved himself to be one of the top stars in the league with 6 All-Star appearances, 6 times being selected to the All-NBA first team and being named 5 times. on the NBA All-Defense team.
Jimmy Butler in the match against the Boston Celtics in the Playoffs round last season
As for the Boston Celtics, the home team at TD Garden owns the two most expensive young stars in the NBA at the moment. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum achieved All-Star and All-NBA honors.
The Celtics’ collective performance is also quite good with 3 times reaching the Eastern finals in the last 5 seasons, including 1 year reaching the NBA Finals (2022, lost 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors).
“Actually, this is an exchange deal that I have thought a lot about. I really like Jimmy Butler and want him to play for my team. But thinking back, I’m glad I didn’t decide to trade,” Mr. Danny Ainge added.
