Despite his torn Achilles from last year's playoffs that limited him to just 16 games during the 2026-26 season, Jayson Tatum remains the centerpiece of the future for the Boston Celtics.
If there was any doubt about that, the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors have made that crystal clear.
It seems like a foregone conclusion at some point this offseason that the Milwaukee Bucks are finally going to trade their two-time league MVP and 2021 Finals MVP. The bulk of the smoke surrounding a potential Giannis deal has surrounded the Miami Heat, who have long been viewed as the most likely landing spot.
But a player of Giannis' caliber doesn't come available very often, so there were bound to be other teams who feel they can make a competitive - or better - offer than the Heat.
That team might just be the Boston Celtics, who would certainly not want the Heat to acquire a superstar of Giannis' talent. But if the Celtics ultimately swing a trade to acquire Giannis, it's clear that one player won't be involved in a move.
"I have heard Boston is shopping people around a lot right now, that Boston is making calls, Boston is open to trading anybody besides Jayson Tatum," Kevin O'Connor said on the Kevin O'Connor show, via NBC Sports Boston. "And that doesn't necessarily mean they land Giannis at the end of the day, but I do believe, based off of everything and all the conversations I've had, is that the Celtics are in on Giannis, and that they are making a push on him... This feels very, very real to me."
Jayson Tatum is reportedly untouchable in Boston, even in a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
There's long been an internal NBA debate over which player the Celtics valued at a higher level, between Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Everyone always assumed it was Tatum, but this certainly makes that point clearer.
Tatum remains a cornerstone player for the Celtics, and it appears that Boston intends to keep him with the franchise for a long, long time.
After Boston's disappointing playoff defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, it seemed that the Celtics might try to make a big move to get back into legitimate contention, now two seasons removed from winning the franchise's first NBA Championship since 2008.
It has felt like the Tatum-Brown pairing was destined for divorce for a while now, and back-to-back disappointing playoff exits appear to have accelerated the timeline.
A Tatum/Giannis combo in Boston could certainly catapult the Celtics right back into contention. They'd be the immediate favorites in the East, and legitimate competition for Western Conference superpowers in San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
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