Report: The Celtics plan on pursuing Kevin Durant this summer
Can Danny Ainge convince the Thunder star to leave the Thunder, pass on the Warriors, and come join the Celtics?
By
Zach Harper
•
4 min read
The Boston Celtics are dying to go out and get that superstar that they currently lack. Even though they have an All-Star point guard in Isaiah Thomas and a lot of promising young players on the roster, getting a superstar to make them a contender and then hopefully grabbing a second star to make them a title-winner is what Danny Ainge has been building toward since he traded away Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. In the meantime, Ainge has been stockpiling young players, draft picks, and carving out cap space to make this a reality.
Ainge tried to get Kevin Love when he exited Minnesota. There were rumors of Ainge trading for either Dwight Howard or Al Horford before the trade deadline. However, Ainge hasn't been able to acquire the star he wants or pull the trigger on a deal that would part with major assets in exchange for the star. And now he'll likely turn his sights this summer toward a player he hoped to acquire back in 2007: Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant. From Chris Forsberg of ESPN:
With Boston positioned to fish again this summer for that elusive big catch that could propel the team forward, the Celtics would covet the chance to pitch Boston as a possible destination when Durant reaches unrestricted free agency.
And that would include Durant, who might benefit from simply escaping a bloodthirsty Western Conference that's compounded his quest for a championship. But Ainge's desire to see Durant in green stretches back almost a decade, and it's not just an assumption from him sitting next to Wanda Pratt at a Big 12 semifinal.
Those who know Ainge best swear that he would have picked Durant No. 1 in the 2007 draft over Greg Oden had the ping pong balls bounced Boston's way. Ainge's son Austin, currently Boston's director of player personnel, wasn't a team employee in 2007, but he noted in June 2014 that, "I was in the draft room, and they would have taken Durant. I did have some inside information there." His story has been vetted by Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck.
This isn't a shock to anybody. The Celtics want a star. One of the best players in the world will be available this summer. Of course, the Celtics want to sign Durant. Even the historic Golden State Warriors want to sign Durant this summer. The question is whether or not Durant wants to even leave OKC, where he plays with Russell Westbrook. The Thunder point guard is also one of the best players in the world. Durant and Russ are very close, so it would be a tough decision for Durant to leave that situation.
If he is going to leave OKC, would he rather risk the PR nightmare of joining a Warriors team that may have just set the single-season wins record and won back-to-back titles, or maybe head East where the competition isn't nearly as stiff as we see out West with title contenders? And if that's the case, is Boston the right place for Durant? Durant addressed reporters on Tuesday, saying he likes the atmosphere and the city of Boston. From Jay King at MassLive:
After fielding a question about the city, the Oklahoma City Thunder star was complimentary. Try not to freak out too much.
"I like the city a lot," Durant said after a shootaround at the TD Garden. "It's cold but they love sports here. It's a family atmosphere I feel when I walk around the city. So yeah, I like it a lot."
What was he supposed to do? Bash the place?
Durant also seems to like the team and recognizes that the players like each other, like the system, and like coach Brad Stevens. And that last part may be the most important for Boston's pursuit of the Thunder star. Joining the Celtics this summer makes a ton of sense for Durant, but the Brad Stevens aspect may be the most important. You see what Stevens has done with this roster. He has them as maybe a top 3 team in the East. Add Durant without disrupting the core and they immediately become the second best. Flip some assets for another star and you have to seriously consider whether or not the Cleveland Cavaliers can fight them off in a playoff series.
We're still a long way from Durant making a decision regarding his future. A lot of people seem to think a one-year max for Durant and the same options in 2017 when Westbrook is a free agent will be the way for KD to go in free agency. But that would essentially take away the chance at going to the Warriors. It could also leave the Celtics in limbo for the next year. They'll still pursue a star to put in Celtics green, but they'll want to leave flexibility for the possibility of Ainge finally landing Durant.
