Josh Richardson arrives at the Celtics | NBA

With the approach of the “free agency” and the day after the Draft, the Celtics are definitely very active.

A little earlier in the night, Boston had indeed been able to exchange Tristan Thompson to the Kings, against Kris Dunn, Bruno Fernando and a second round of Draft (2023), arrived them from the Hawks. This time, The Athletic annonce that the C’s have reached an agreement with the Mavericks, for the transfer of Josh Richardson.

And to bring the player from the Mavericks, the leaders of the Celtics did not have to give up anything in return. The only condition for this transaction to be feasible: that the former resident of the Heat and the Sixers does not test the market but rather activates his ” player option Of $ 11.6 million.

Time is running out to validate this new transfer

And this is the famous “trade exception”, recovered as part of the ” sign-and-trade By Gordon Hayward, last November, which allowed Boston to absorb all of Josh Richardson’s salary.

Note, however, that it is essential that the C’s be able to conclude their two transfers of the night before Monday midnight, so that the salary amounts for the 2020/21 season, and not those for the 2021/22 season, are retained. by the league in these exchanges.

Clearly, it would be the salaries affected in 2020/21 by Josh Richardson ($ 10.8 million) and Kris Dunn ($ 4.8 million) that would be taken into account. Not the ones they’ll claim in 2021/22, which is $ 11.6 million for the Dallas full-back and $ 5.0 million for the Atlanta point guard.

Because these two amounts are far too high to be absorbed by the “trade exception” generated by the transfers from Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter, made in November 2020.

Indication on the future of Evan Fournier?

Beyond all these financial imperatives, Brad Stevens and the Celtics are proving they have no plans to sit idle this summer. And that their main objective is to bring defense back to Massachusetts, to the field posts.

After Kris Dunn, it is indeed Josh Richardson, another good defender in the perimeter, who arrives in Boston, under the orders of Ime Udoka. The two met in Philadelphia, and Richardson arrives to support Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and other Marcus Smart.

And even if he has been declining to 3-points for three seasons, the 27-year-old full-back remains a player to watch offensively, able to turn a meeting, when he is confident and in a good night. In addition to being able to relieve Celtic ball carriers, at creation.

This exchange could also mean that the C’s are not as confident as imagined, regarding an extension of Evan Fournier, since they have brought in an element able to occupy a role similar to that of the French, in the rotation of the franchise to the 17 NBA championship titles …

Dallas side, the team now has a budget of $ 33 million to recruit, as well as a “trade exception” of $ 11.6 million. What to position himself on a very good leader like Kyle Lowry, and why not a rear like… Evan Fournier if the Celtics do not care for him.

Player option : possibility for a player to activate (or not) the last year of his contract, in order to end his lease or to become a “free agent” one year in advance.

Sign-and-trade : operation which consists in signing one of his free agents and then transfer it. Some franchises use this system to avoid seeing one of their players leave without any compensation.