Boston Celtics Rumors
Celtics losing confidence in re-signing Evan Fournier
According to a league source, the team is losing confidence in its ability to re-sign veteran wing Evan Fournier. The Celtics acquired Fournier from the Magic in exchange for two second-round picks in March. The move was completed to bolster Boston’s playoff push, and because it would give the Celtics the ability to sign Fournier to a long-term deal this summer despite being over the salary cap since they would hold his Bird Rights.
According to a league source, the Celtics prefer to pursue a player with extensive experience and are focused on adding size and shooting, and forward Jeff Green is believed to be a primary target. Green played for the Celtics from 2011-2015, including a season and a half with Stevens as his head coach.
The team could also pursue Spurs forward Rudy Gay and former Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk, according to a league source.
Some players wait a lifetime for the opportunity to cash in the way he’s about to. France has also waited a lifetime to win an Olympic gold medal. Fournier has to juggle all that at once. “It’s so unfortunate that I’m going to have to give an answer on the day of the quarterfinal,” he said. “Hopefully, teams are going to be nice and they can understand that I don’t want to rush anything and at least I can wait until after the game.”
Tatum is healthy now and is also coming off his best game in a Team USA uniform, with 27 points and five 3s in a 35-point win over the Czech Republic Saturday night. Tatum was terrible in that exhibition win over Spain (3-of-9 shooting) and in the Olympics-opening loss to France (3-of-9 shooting); he scored 17 but was 2-of-7 from 3 in the 54-point win over Iran. “I don’t know,” Tatum said Saturday night, when asked why he thought he’d gotten off to a slow start. “New environment, new basketball, different style of basketball, the rules are different, playing on a new team, it’s a lot of things. But I was never worried, never concerned. I knew that shots would fall eventually and start to feel good about yourself, and then it’s just basketball.”
