(Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)
The trade deadline is always a tough time for NBA players.
An NBA roster has multiple guys who may not play as often as others but are essential to keep the locker room’s essence and solid workplace environment, not to mention they also mentor younger players.
That’s why Jayson Tatum claimed to be bummed out by Lamar Stevens being sent to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Talking to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, he admitted that it was tough not to see him in the locker room, praising him for his personality and how he handled himself around the team.
“Losing a key guy to our team. Maybe he didn’t play as much, but his personality and how hard he worked, he was a great teammate and everybody loved Lamar,” Tatum said.
Jayson Tatum on Lamar Stevens being traded to Memphis: “Losing a key guy to our team. Maybe he didn’t play as much, but his personality and how hard he worked, he was a great teammate and everybody loved Lamar. To wake up from my nap today and see he was traded was tough. The…
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) February 8, 2024
The Celtics acquired PF/C Xavier Tillman from the Grizzlies in exchange for Stevens and a couple of second-round picks.
Tillman will give the Celtics some much-needed depth at the position.
He can block some shots and is a strong presence on both ends of the glass.
He’s been in and out of the Grizzlies’ lineup and rotation due to the multiple injuries they’ve been through this season, but he’s proven to be a productive player on a per-minute basis.
With Al Horford not getting any younger and Kristaps Porzingis’s well-documented history of injuries, you can never have enough depth at that spot.
With their season already down the drain, the Grizzlies could be involved in several more transactions before the trade deadline.
As for the Celtics, they already have the most stacked lineup in the entire league, but they don’t want to leave anything to chance after being so close to winning their league-leading 18th banner.
The post Jayson Tatum Gets Honest About Recent Celtics Trade appeared first on The Cold Wire.