NBA Rumors: Teams Kevin Durant Has Been Linked To
Boston Celtics
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge has done a downright masterful job of managing the Boston Celtics’ roster. He’s piled up draft picks, created significant cap space, and placed the team in a position of negotiating power come free agency.
According to Chris Forsberg of ESPN, Ainge would like nothing more than to complete the rebuilding process by bringing Kevin Durant to Boston.
"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 pingpong 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."
It’s a plausible idea.
The biggest contract on Boston’s 2016-17 salary cap table is Amir Johnson‘s non-guaranteed $12 million. After that, Avery Bradley’s $8,269,663 is the only deal worth more than $6.6 million—and that contract belongs to All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas.
The cap space exists, and Durant seems open to the idea of signing with the Celtics.
Kevin Durant on Boston. "It's cold but they love sports here. It's a family atmosphere I feel when I walk around the city." #FreeAgency
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) March 16, 2016
Celtics fans showered Durant with chants of, “Come to Boston,” to which he had the professional response.
Kevin Durant said he didn't hear the "Come to Boston" chants. When told about them and asked for a response: "No thoughts really."
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) March 17, 2016
Ainge has built a roster that permits Durant to sign with and thrive in Boston.
Thomas is an All-Star at point guard, and Jae Crowder is a versatile forward who can play both the 3 and the 4. Bradley is a 3-and-D specialist, and the interior is flush with quality players who can score along the interior or the perimeter.
Throw in respected head coach Brad Stevens, and Boston owning the 19-49 Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected first-round draft pick, and the Celtics have the quite the offer to make to Durant.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that Boston is currently 39-29 without Durant.
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