Fultz is out of the league after an injury-filled career. Ball has missed two years with knee injuries and is playing on his third NBA team. Tatum is a five-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 2023 All-Star Game MVP, and NBA champion. The deal worked out well for the Celtics. “Yeah, I think I was upset at the time that there wasn’t genuine interest,” Tatum said before he exploded for 43 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 123-98 blowout of the Bulls Saturday in Chicago. “From my perspective, I grew up the biggest Kobe fan and wanted to play for the Lakers. And Magic explained it: they had too many forwards and that was their thought process at the time. It wasn’t like I got any animosity toward Magic or the Lakers. It was just as a kid. I was close to accomplishing a life-long dream, the way I thought it would be.