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Charles Krupa/Associated Press
The Boston Celtics’ new president of operations Brad Stevens didn’t waste any time in making roster moves this summer.
Not long after the season was over, the Celtics traded Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder and reacquired Al Horford.
Then last week, they traded Tristan Thompson and Moses Brown to the Atlanta Hawks for Kris Dunn and Bruno Fernando and Josh Richardson from the Dallas Mavericks.
With a number of expiring contracts on hand, it looks as though Stevens still has quite a few deals in mind with the NBA free agency period starting Monday, August 2 at 6 p.m.
These are some bold moves by Stevens, but Jayson Tatum has confidence that he knows what he’s doing.
“I trust Brad. He’ll figure it out,” Tatum told John Karalis of the Boston Sports Journal.
Tatum’s buy in is crucial, because he and Jayden Brown are the franchise cornerstones and they are entering their prime.
Stevens can ill afford to make the wrong moves as he rounds out the roster around his two best players.
“With regards to what we want to add to our team, it’s pretty consistent,” Stevens told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. “We need to be mindful of our near- and long-term views, and at the same time add hopefully an edge and some experience to our team. When I say experience, I mean just the savvy of someone who has been through it before that will help everybody around our guys better. That’s an important thing for our team as we move forward. The fit is important, what people bring to the table from those attributes is important. That’s what we’re looking at.”
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ARIS MESSINIS/Getty Images
Evan Fournier has been playing out of his mind for France in the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
He was the main catalyst for his team’s 83-76 upset win over Team USA in the Olympic opener, pouring in a game high 28 points.
Since then, he’s had France on a 3-0 record heading into the quarterfinals.
Now that he’s making noise on the international stage, he’s looking for a huge payday.
According to the Boston Globe‘s Adam Himmelsbach, the Celtics are “losing confidence” in their ability to resign Fournier this summer.
Boston acquired the 6’7″ forward from the Orlando Magic back in March for two second-round picks to load up for their playoff push.
Fournier is likely looking for a contract in the $19 million per year range, which is likely more than the Celtics will be willing to pay, even though they hold his Bird Rights and can sign him to a long-term deal and not have to worry about the salary cap.
Richardson could still be on the move, but the fact that they brought him on could be a sign that they are willing to move on from Fournier.
All things being equal, there’s no guarantee that Fournier will play like he’s playing in the Olympics next season, so it’s a gamble to sign him to a big contract.
Last year, Fournier averaged 17.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, while shooting 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.
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Adam Hunger/Associated Press
The Boston Globe‘s Adam Himmelsbach reports that Boston is focused on adding size and shooting and that Jeff Green is a “primary target.”
Green is a former Celtic and played under Stevens, so he’s familiar with the organization and would fit in with little to no runway.
The 6’8″ forward played for the Brooklyn Nets last season, averaging 11 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest. He was a steady veteran presence in Brooklyn and would provide that same leadership in Boston.
Question is, is he willing to give up on the Nets, who would be the better team in terms of winning a championship now, for a chance to return to the Celtics?
Brooklyn may run out of money with the prospect of having to pay Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden this offseason, so their might not be enough money to keep Green, so he might be looking for a new home anyway.
Green has played for 10 NBA teams, so he’s likely tired of moving around.
“It confuses me, but it isn’t frustrating,” Green said back in June per the New York Times. “You know, this stuff, that’s out of my control. I go out and just do the work. And I let my agent handle the logistics of the contract terms, but it is confusing to the point of, ‘What else do I need to do to prove that I’m not a minimum guy?’”
One positive for Boston fans is the fact that Green’s agent, Jason Glushon, also represents Horford and Brown, so maybe he’s good with making one last move.
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Logan Riely/Getty Images
Rumor has it, according to the Boston Globe‘s Adam Himmelsbach, that Boston has eyes for Rudy Gay.
Why the San Antonio Spurs forward, fans may be asking?
It’s simple: he played for the Celtics’ new head coach Ime Udoka, who was an assistant for San Antonio and he’s been a reliable bench contributor there for four years.
Gay is a far cry from his former self, when he averaged 21.1 points for the Sacramento Kings, but he did average 11.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game for the Spurs.
He also made 38.1 percent of his three-pointers.
Boston is in dire need of outside shooting, so the addition of Gay, especially for the right price, would be a good fit.
The 34-year old forward also has 15 years of experience under his belt, which would make him a valuable veteran in the locker room.
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