The Boston Celtics were without a true star player after trading Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks last season. This year, Isaiah Thomas has transformed into a star, and the Celtics have been playing great basketball. The team currently holds the third seed in the East, and are on pace to win 47 games(although an injury to Jae Crowder makes that less likely), which would be a 7 game improvement from last season.
Why settle for one star when you can have multiple? The Celtics were rumored to be targeting multiple star players at the trade deadline this season, most notably Jimmy Butler, Al Horford, and Jahlil Okafor(although Okafor may not be a “star” just yet).
Danny Ainge reportedly has his eye on an even bigger name than those three: Kevin Durant.
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.
Scoff if you want — and most will — the Celtics are in position to make an intriguing sales pitch to any star talent that becomes available.
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.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody. Kevin Durant is one of the 3 best players in the NBA, and any team would be ecstatic to have him. The difference between Boston and most other team’s in the NBA is that their interest in Kevin Durant could be mutual. Durant, who will play in Boston tonight, praised the city, the fans, and young point guard Marcus Smart.
“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.”
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“Marcus Smart, he’s a terrific competitor,” Durant said. “He plays hard. He’s a little guy that can defend three positions so I have my work cut out for me. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been watching this team a lot. And they’re scrappy. They play hard. They love their coach, they love their system, and especially in this building they play with a lot of energy. So it’s going to be a tough test.”
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“It’s been a while,” Durant said while sitting a few feet away from the parquet floor. “I haven’t played here in a while.”
With a smile, Durant continued, “Before this game I was hoping that everything goes well our last game so I could finally play here. It’s been three years since I played (in Boston), so, yeah, looking forward to it. They’re some of the best fans in the world and definitely support their team.
Those are some nice words by Durant. It’s hard to say whether he was being nice about the city, or whether he truly enjoys it. Regardless, his compliments of Smart seemed very genuine. Bottom line, the Celtics probably have a better shot at Durant than most teams. They’re one of the most storied franchises in the NBA, they have a terrific GM who is a huge fan of Durant’s, one of the best young coaches in the league, and some excellent young talent.
