Celtics Talk: Ball? Beal? What's next after quiet draft night?

Share

There are two big names linked to the Boston Celtics in rumors this summer: Bradley Beal and Lonzo Ball.

Beal's well-documented friendship with C's star Jayson Tatum has helped to fuel those rumors, but recent reports suggest Beal has no desire to leave Washington after the Wizards traded Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

As for Ball, the restricted free agent reportedly is on the Celtics' radar. The 23-year-old could add much-needed depth at the point guard position for Boston.

So, what should we make of the latest buzz around Beal and Ball? Chris Forsberg broke it all down on a brand new Celtics Talk Podcast.

Celtics Talk Podcast: Lonzo Ball? Bradley Beal? What's next after quiet draft night for Celtics? | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube

"The buzz right now is Bradley Beal has no plans to ask for his way out of Washington, but that can change in a hurry," Forsberg said. "In the infancy of this deal, I don't think it makes him anymore likely to stay in Washington, but it does set the Wizards up with a little more flexibility moving forward. ... Could they go to Bradley Beal and say 'Who would you like to play with?'" ...

"My gut instinct is they really have to hit on whatever they do when they clear this cap space or pursue a move. They need to find the right people. Maybe, ultimately, it comes down to where Bradley Beal just says, 'You know? The guy I want to play with is Jayson Tatum."

How about Lonzo?

"I really think the Celtics should've been more aggressive pursuing Ball last year," Forsberg said. "I understand trying to trade assets and it would've been a hefty cost to go get a restricted free agent. Because of the Celtics' situation and you can't really take on a player in a sign-and-trade without being hard capped it limits the avenues they have this summer to adding talent, and I wonder if you could've got Lonzo Ball in house at the end of last season." ...

"The Celtics have to figure that out. Is Marcus Smart the long-term fit at that point guard spot? ... I don't know what the plan is at the point guard spot. I know they want to see what Marcus can be, I think they love the chemistry that he has with the Jays, and if he can really buy in to being that pass-first point guard it can really work out, but Marcus has got to show that he's ready for that role and can morph his game a little bit."

Also in the new episode: Forsberg gives his take on the Celtics drafting Juhann Begarin in the second round (45th overall). Brad Stevens joins for an exclusive interview to discuss the draft, his transition from head coach to president of basketball operations, the current roster and the status of Jaylen Brown's recovery. And Forsberg unpacks Stevens' comments and begins looking ahead to NBA free agency and the start of the new season.

Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch it on YouTube below.

Contact Us