The Celtics, who had the No. 1 pick, could've simply stayed put and taken Jayson Tatum. Instead, they pulled one of the all-time heists -- in hindsight, at least -- by trading down to No. 3 with the Sixers,

Nov 4, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) in action against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett D

Jayson Tatum scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half, and the Boston Celtics routed the Atlanta Hawks 123-93 on Monday night for their third straight win.

Before Tatum was selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA draft, many expected the Celtics, who initially had the No. 1 pick, to go with Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz. However, Boston elected to trade back two spots to grab the Duke product, allowing the Philadelphia 76ers to get Fultz.

"And then, I get drafted, and Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics. I called my agent like 'yo, I gotta get traded'." The post Jayson Tatum recalls the time he almost asked the Celtics to trade him appeared first on Boston.

Tatum scores 26 of his 28 points in the first half as Boston races to a 22-point lead at intermission on its way to a third straight win.

Jayson Tatum reflects on early frustrations with the Celtics, considering a trade before a pivotal injury opened doors to his breakout success.