Celtics news & rumors: Fournier takes Team USA; no Jaylen Brown for Beal

Sunday’s Olympic showdown between Team USA and France left Boston Celtics fans feeling optimistic about the re-signing of one star while wondering what is going on with their big star and his team.

With the US getting stunned by Evan Fournier and the France National Team 83-76, fans got a glimpse of the Fournier they traded for at the NBA Trade Deadline.

Boston Celtics star Evan Fournier leads the way in downing Team USA

As Jayson Tatum and his squad struggled in the loss, Fournier led his team with 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting and showed the world that the US can be beaten as a team even if they have supreme individual talent.

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With other familiar faces like Guerschon Yabusele and Vincent Poirier, Fournier represented the Celtics well and may have just increased his chances for a big contract either with Boston or some other NBA team.

In using $17.5 million of the trade exception acquired in the Gordon Hayward deal, the Celtics obtained the services of Fournier for the second half of the season and into the playoffs.  The veteran shooter had his struggles during the early part of his tenure but was beginning to come on when the team was eliminated by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

After his showing against Team USA on Sunday, the Celtics interest in re-signing Fournier may have just increased.  The aggressive nature in which he played the game along with his hot shooting in stretches is certainly the type of production Brad Stevens and new head coach Ime Udoka could see as a value to the team moving forward.

The good thing about it is Udoka, who is an assistant on Team USA, got to see Fournier’s performance up close and personal.  Despite the blemish for the US squad, the veteran wing’s performance was a bright spot of Celtics fans as shined on the big stage and was absolutely ballin’.

NBA trade rumors: Boston Celtics won’t offer Jaylen Brown for Bradley Beal

The NBA world is abuzz following speculation that Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal is on the verge of requesting a trade.

Naturally, a rumored destination is the Boston Celtics given the close relationship with Jayson Tatum and Beal.  The downside of a potential blockbuster deal is that it may have to involve Jaylen Brown, which the team would be reluctant to offer as the center of a package for the Wizards All-Star.

As it would seem Washington would require Brown, ESPN analyst Zach Lowe further confirmed the Celtics aren’t entering the Bradley Beal sweepstakes with the intention of offering up Brown, who was named to his first All-Star team in 2021.

"“Is Boston going to offer Jaylen Brown?  I don’t think so,” Lowe said, via Boston.com.  “To me there’s not much point in giving up one star for another, if you’re Boston.”"

The goal if you are the Boston Celtics is to create a big three of Tatum, Brown and Beal, but making that happen without giving up Brown will take some creativity and the Wizards star basically forcing his way to Boston to play with his St. Louis buddy.

In that scenario, Beal would have to make it clear that he will only sign a long-term deal with the Celtics in which Boston could offer a package centered around any combination of Marcus Smart, Al Horford and a sign-in-trade involving Evan Fournier.

Of course, younger players and draft capital will have to be involved.

Still, it would be hard to see any package the Celtics could offer without Brown outbidding teams like the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors.