As it turns out, the Celtics’ trade for Josh Richardson may have been insurance for a free-agent priority that is not working out so well.
According to a league source, negotiations between the Celtics and Evan Fournier are close to stalling, with the team unwilling to meet the valuable wing player’s asking price of $80 million over four years.
Though it’s unclear what the Celtics are offering, “it’s not looking good,” said the source.
As evidenced by reports that the Knicks and Fournier have developed a mutual interest, the Celtics now face stiff competition.
Fournier is on the rise in Japan, where one of the Olympic tournament’s biggest stars led France to a 3-0 record in group play, including a 28-point performance in an opening win over the United States. He averaged 24.5 points over the first two games, before only playing 14 minutes during Saturday’s easy win over Iran.
The Celtics, after a busy Friday that sent Tristan Thompson to Sacramento as part of a three-team deal that brought back Atlanta’s Kris Dunn, Bruno Fernando and a 2024 second-round pick, have been in hyper drive.
On Saturday they included Moses Brown, a promising young big man brought in as part of the Kemba Walker/Al Horford swap, in a deal for Richardson that also absorbed the remaining $11 million from its Gordon Hayward trade exception.
Brad Stevens, in his first year as president of basketball operations, is also debating whether to extend the contracts of Marcus Smart and Robert Williams, while also positioning himself for a run at Bradley Beal in free agency next summer.
All of these matters considered, Fournier’s asking price appears to be a bit too rich for what the Celtics can afford without paying a high luxury tax bill.
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August 01, 2021 at 01:17AM
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Source: Celtics lose ground in talks with Fournier - Boston Herald
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