Celtics news & rumors: Tatum seeing gold; Rudy Gay a mid-level target

Is this the offseason Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum becomes a complete superstar?

Coming off a disappointing 2020-21 NBA campaign in which his team was trounced right out of the playoffs in the first round, Tatum is looking to make some amends by leading another team to a championship.  Olympic gold that is.

With USA Basketball losing a couple of exhibition games in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, the excitement for the team is not completely high.

But Tatum, wearing No. 6 in tribute of Kobe Bryant, knows the team he represents can change all of that.  Not only does he believe the team has both learned and improved since those exhibition losses to Nigeria and Australia, but he also believes Team USA is destined for gold because of a few attributes the team naturally possess.

"“I think we’ve got to use our athleticism and our speed to our advantage,” Tatum said following the team’s comeback victory vs. Spain, via NESN.  “On the defensive end, get stops, and we got to go.  We got to push it.  You got so many guys that can bring the ball up, make plays, make shots.  This is not our normal NBA team, so we got to do things we’re not used to doing.”More from Chowder and Champions3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster DeadlineMLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season"

That really comes down to how well USA Basketball head coach Greg Popovich puts it all together and prepares the team after losing players like Bradley Beal and Kevin Love.

Those losses also emphasize the importance of Tatum, who Popovich acknowledges as a great two-way player.  After Kevin Durant, the Celtics All-Star is really the hardest player to defend because of the way he can create his own offense.

Although the team has other outstanding scorers like Damien Lillard, Devon Booker and Zach LaVine, it is Tatum who has the greatest opportunity to help lead the team to that shining Gold medal, which in turn should propel him for 2021-22 NBA season that will showcase him as a consistent superstar.

Boston Celtics fans will be all for that.

NBA free agent rumors: Rudy Gay a Celtics mid-level target?

While Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens will have quite the challenge on his hand adding a big name or two to the mix, one of the underrated challenges is how he will use the team’s mid-level exception.

If the team does re-sign Evan Fournier, they will have a $5.9 million midlevel exception they can use, which ultimately will mean targeting a veteran who won’t demand that much on the market.

With the team looking to add some veteran leadership, one of the names NBC

Sports’ Chris Forsberg threw out there in listing his 11 free-agent targets for the team’s midlevel exception is Rudy Gay.

The 34-year-old veteran has been linked to the Celtics in the past, but now he should be an affordable pickup for the team.  Last season with the San Antonio Spurts, Gay averaged 11.4 points while shooting 38.1 percent from behind the three-point stripe.

As a valued veteran coming off the bench, that kind of production could be a great addition to the Boston Celtics bench.  If Stevens looks to pursue Gay, new head coach Ime Udoka is familiar with him as his former assistant coach with the Spurs.

In all, this would not be a sexy free agent signing, but given the midlevel exception value, it would be a great add given Rudy Gay’s experience.