Tatum excited to play with Irving, still be with Celtics following trade rumors

Rookie Jayson Tatum has yet to play a single game for the Boston Celtics, and there was a very real possibility the team could have moved him to the Cleveland Cavaliers before he ever had the chance to do so.

Luckily for him, the 19-year-old Duke alumnus received assurance from management that he wouldn't be a part of the trade to acquire Kyrie Irving, and, as a result, he'll now have the opportunity to compete alongside a guard he already has a pre-existing relationship with.

"I'm pretty sure it will be a lot of fun," Tatum said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg. "(Irving is) a tremendous player. A superstar in this league."

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Tatum and Irving both share the same agent, and even traveled to the Bahamas together on vacation earlier this month.

When the news came through that Irving would in fact be making his way to Boston, the four-time All-Star texted Tatum to let him know much he was looking forward to teaming up.

Before then, though, Tatum was sweating out all of the rumors of the Cavaliers wanting to acquire him.

"I was watching (the trade news) on TV and I saw breaking news come across, so it was just as much of a shock to me as all the other fans," said Tatum.

"I was just as surprised as everyone else (about the deal). I saw my name come up and I didn't know if I was going to get traded. ... It's all new to me. I haven't played an NBA game yet; I just came from college. I don't know how to handle all the trade talks. I was just like, 'Wow,' (when I) saw my name come up."

In exchange for Irving, Cleveland landed Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected 2018 first-round pick.