There’s no credible reporting indicating that Jayson Tatum turned down a $55.5 million offer from the Los Angeles Lakers or that he expressed a desire to leave Boston after signing his deal in December 2024. In fa
- Contract Extension: On July 1, 2024, Jayson Tatum signed a five-year supermax extension worth approximately $314 million (some outlets report $315 m) with the Boston Celtics, locking him up through the 2029–30 season, including a player option and trade kicker
- Historic Significance: This contract is officially the largest in NBA history, surpassing Jaylen Brown’s previous record and making Tatum the first player to average over $70 million per season in future years
- Ongoing Commitment: Since that extension, no major NBA outlets—ESPN, The Athletic, NBA.com, AP—have reported on any Lakers pursuit or Tatum expressing interest in a move
- No respected media source confirms that the Lakers offered $55.5 million or that Tatum considered it.
- No quotes from Tatum himself suggest he has “no plans beyond the Celtics” in the context of responding to such an offer.
- The original claim appears to be unfounded rumor or fan speculation, not backed by verifiable rep Past Associations: Tatum has spoken in the past (e.g., rookie season) about being a Kobe Bryant fan, and had interest from many teams, including the Lakers—though he never received a pre-draft workout invitation from them
- Team Stability: Boston has secured its core—Tatum, Brown, White, Holiday, Porzingis—on long-term deals, signaling firm commitment and building toward continued contentio
It’s plausible that someone conflated Tatum’s monumental $314 million supermax deal with hypothetical Lakers interest, then misquoted or misreported it as a $55.5 million annual offer. But that doesn’t align with reality:
- The Lakers are not in a position to make a $55.5 million-per-year max offer, given salary cap constraints.
- No reputable anchor—whether Wojnarowski, Charania, or other insiders—has reported such an offer or bid from the Lakers
- ✔️ Confirmed Fact: Tatum is fully committed to the Celtics through the 2029–30 season via a record-setting $314 million extension
- ❓ Unverified Claim: No credible information supports the story of a rejected $55.5 million Lakers offer or Tatum reiterating a lifelong Celtics career, beyond standard affirmations tied to his extension.
- ✅ Conclusion: The rumor appears to be manufactured or speculative. Without substantiation from trusted outlets or Tatum’s camp, it remains unfounded.If you came across a specific article, blog post, or tweet making this claim, feel free to share it and I can help verify or debunk it directly. But based on all publicly available, reliable information, Jayson Tatum is firmly entrenched in Boston, and there’s no evidence he rebuffed a major financial offer from the Lakers.
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