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Kevin Durant’s Free Agency Destination Power Rankings

By Gerald Bourguet

May 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kevin Durant
Mar 16, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) works the ball against Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) in the second half at TD Garden. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Celtics 130-109. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are an intriguing option, even with general manager Danny Ainge largely failing to cash in on all his accumulated assets on draft night. Because of their youth, team chemistry, Brad Stevens and, let’s face it, their far easier path to the Finals out East, the Celtics are one option that can’t be overlooked.

It seems odd to consider the Celtics as serious contenders for Kevin Durant considering they’ve failed to make it out of the first round in their last two playoffs, but Boston is one of the few teams on this list that would be able to largely keep its core intact while adding the 2014 MVP.

By not making an all-in move on draft night, the Celtics maintained their financial flexibility with a nine-player core that takes up only $34 million in guaranteed cap space. That would leave Boston with enough room to bring about Durant AND another max-level player…which they did by landing Al Horford with a four-year, $113 million max deal.

This young and hard-working team has already been surprisingly good in the East without a go-to star. Adding a player like Al Horford elevates them into the upper tier alongside the Toronto Raptors, with both still looking up at the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bring Kevin Durant into the picture and suddenly Boston might be on level ground with King James for the first time since the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett era.

The best part for this team on the rise is that it’s also sustainable. Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder comprise Boston’s young core, and thanks to the Brooklyn Nets’ ill-fated trade for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce back in 2013, the Celtics can swap first round picks with Brooklyn in 2017 and they own the Nets’ 2018 first-rounder as well.

What that means is a likely top-five pick over the next two years (with a good chance of it being the No. 1 overall pick next season, seeing as how the Nets just traded Thaddeus Young and will have very little appeal to free agents).

LeBron James just pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NBA Finals history by unseating the Warriors as NBA champions, but at age 31, his grip on the Eastern Conference won’t last forever. At some point another contender will emerge from the East, and Durant is certainly talented enough to bump the Celtics into that category over the next 1-2 years — especially with Horford now on board.

Boston may not have the outright firepower that Golden State, San Antonio or Oklahoma City possess, but the Celtics have a legendary basketball tradition, a town of diehard fans, enough cap space to sign Durant and Horford to the max contracts they wanted, and enough young talent to make the Celtics a sustainable contender for years to come.

Next: No. 2