Last month, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum stirred up some controversy when he revealed his willingness to join the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2017, but the team passed on him. This comment caught the attention of many, including Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who recently addressed the situation.
Johnson claimed that Tatum and his agent, Jeff Wechsler, snubbed the Lakers’ invitation for a pre-draft workout in 2017. He explained that Wechsler didn’t want Tatum to end up on the Lakers, as the team already had a strong group of forwards at the time.
However, Wechsler responded to Johnson’s comments in an interview with SiriusXM’s Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine. He confirmed Johnson’s claim that Tatum was not interested in the Lakers workout, but he offered more context.
“Magic’s correct in what he said, but the way it was presented was a little different. Jayson worked out in L.A. for months, training with Drew Hanlen there. And the Lakers knew that he was in L.A. and never called. In late June, they called and wanted to bring him in for a workout. But by that time, everyone knew that they were taking Lonzo Ball,” Wechsler said.
“So when Rob Pelinka called me and asked if they could work Jayson out, I said, ‘Well, if you’re not going to take him, why are you working him out?’ And so I said, ‘Get me on a call with Magic, and we’ll talk about it.’ So he set that up a few days later,” Wechsler noted,” he added.
Kendrick Perkins Praises Jayson Tatum And Jaylen Brown As Celtics Aim For Another Title
Tatum and Brown have solidified themselves as one of the NBA’s most dominant duos, leading the Boston Celtics to their historic 18th championship last season. Their performance has drawn praise from many, including former NBA star Kendrick Perkins. During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, Perkins expressed his respect for the Celtics’ star duo.
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“I’m taking two. I’m going to show respect to the champions, the Celtics, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. And then I’m taking Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson over Giannis and Dame right now,” Perkins said.
This season, Tatum and Brown have continued their stellar play, helping the Celtics to a 21-5 record. They currently sit second in the Eastern Conference and remain strong contenders for another title.
