Jayson Tatum lobbied for NBA rule change to help former Duke teammate

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum had a pretty neat gesture for one of his former Duke teammates, and he may have played a small role in a notable rule change in the new NBA collective bargaining agreement.

The new CBA will now allow players an extra year of two-way eligibility if they miss a full NBA season. Previously, players with less than four years of service could sign two-way contracts, but no exceptions were made in case of a season-long injury. That impacted the likes of Harry Giles III, a first-round pick in 2017 who missed the entire 2017-18 season due to knee issues. Under the previous rule, Giles would have lost the ability to sign a two-way deal next season.

The new CBA will no longer count such seasons, making Giles eligible for a two-way deal once more. Among those to lobby for the change was Tatum, and he did it with Giles in mind.

“I reached out in support,” Tatum told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. “Just trying help my guy. He deserves this shot.”

Giles took notice of the gesture on social media.