Colin Cowherd dubs Jayson Tatum a net negative: ‘The Beneficiary’

It’s one thing to argue Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum isn’t the NBA MVP, but Colin Cowherd just put him in the running for LVP.

If the New York Knicks want to upset the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the key is keeping Tatum on the floor. That’s right. According to Cowherd, Tatum is a net negative, and the Celtics are better off without him.

“Over the last 7 to 8 years, Boston’s a much better franchise. But when Jayson Tatum plays poorly or doesn’t play, the net rating often goes up.” – Colin Cowherd pic.twitter.com/5P4QsWepx5

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 12, 2025

“Over the last 7 to 8 years, Boston’s a much better franchise, but when Jayson Tatum plays poorly or doesn’t play, the net rating often goes up,” Cowherd argued on his Monday afternoon Fox Sports Radio and FS1 show. “Did you watch the Warriors without Steph? It’s hard, they’re unwatchable. You see, Jokić is now gassed, Denver can’t score. You see the value and the importance.”

“I’m watching Tatum with the Celtics, he’s just another successful banker at Deutsche,” Cowherd continued. “And you watch the Celtics, you can make an argument, if you’re looking for a nickname for Tatum, it’s The Beneficiary. Beneficiary of Brad Stevens, of Danny Ainge, of a roster that is easily the most complete in the league.”

Cowherd really should have passed that take by New York Mets play-by-play voice Gary Cohen before documenting it on-air. It’s one thing for Cohen to get burned after calling Daniel Murphy, who was pedestrian during most of his tenure with the New York Mets, a net negative, but Cowherd just decided to throw that out there with the defending champion’s most talented player.

What makes the take even worse is that it’s said alongside a chyron that claims Tatum scored just 13 points in Boston’s Game 3 win over New York. Tatum scored 22 in Game 3, but he scored 14 in Game 2.

Cowherd has dropped some takes before, but claiming the Boston Celtics are better when their most talented player “plays poorly” was wild. We’re all waiting to see Boston dump Tatum for nothing this offseason, just so Cowherd can say, “told ya so.”