Celtics Draft Jayson Tatum With No. 3 Pick
BOSTON (CBS) -- After all the rumors and trade chatter, the Boston Celtics used the No. 3 overall pick on Thursday night to add a talented young scorer.
The Celtics drafted Duke forward Jayson Tatum third overall, giving them a young offensive-minded player to add to a team that won 53 games last season. The 6-foot-8 Tatum averaged 16.8 points per game off 45 percent shooting from the floor in his one season with the Blue Devils.
"This has been a great night; a dream come true," Tatum said at the podium after being drafted. "Just making it to the NBA and being drafted by a great franchise like Boston. I'm excited to bring a lot of versatility and accepting my role, trying to be the best at what coach [Brad] Stevens asks me to do."
Read: Jayson Tatum's Pre-Draft Profile
The 19-year-old is considered one of the most gifted scorers in this years draft. He can create his own shot in a number of ways, whether it's his solid step-back jumper or ability to attack the basket, and should give Boston a scoring punch off of the bench in his rookie season.
The Celtics were front-and-center in a number of trade rumors leading up to the draft, including blockbuster swaps for Knicks center Kristaps Porzingis and Bulls guard Jimmy Butler. But in the end, Danny Ainge was satisfied with taking Tatum at No. 3.
The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Washington guard Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick, which they acquired from Boston on Monday for the third pick and an additional future first-round selection.
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