Is Durant going to Celtics a possibility? ‘There is real connection’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Could the Boston be? Celtics be a forerunner in the Kevin Durant contests?
No, this isn’t 2016, and the Celtics don’t plan on sending a convoy to The Hamptons to recruit the star forward in free agency. But amid reports that Kyrie Irving and the… Brooklyn nets are at an impasse in contract negotiations, Durant is reportedly brooding over his own future with the franchise.
Durant is under contract to a $194 million four-year supermax contract through 2026, and it would take a massive trading package to acquire one of the best players of this generation. as Durant is doing requesting a trade, though, would the Celtics be one of the teams he’s considering joining?
Former Celtic and NBC Sports Boston color analyst Brian Scalabrine believes so.
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“Let’s tie a few things together,” Scalabrine said on Thursday night on Celtics post up, as seen in the video above. “One, Kevin Durant, when he was available for (to) the Warriors (in 2016 free agency), he was linked to Al Horford. That was something out there.
“He loves Marcus Smarthe loves Ime Udoka, and he respects Jayson Tatum† There are many things going on here. It’s not just, ‘Ah, the Celtics are good.’ There’s a real connection here.”
Indeed, Durant has been complimentary of Smart in the past, calling the Celtics point guard a “great competitor”in 2016. The superstar also won a gold medal with Udoka and Tatum at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and even predicted that Tatum would break his record for most runs scored in Team USA history.
Durant should have some respect for the Celtics after that too they choked him and the Nets en route to a first-round playoff sweep. If KD is serious about winning another championship, then the team that just won the Eastern Conference should be on his shortlist.
“Of all the teams that are available, I think it’s legitimate for you to talk to the Celtics,” Scalabrine added. “… That’s a legit legacy for Kevin Durant. … Moving to Brooklyn wasn’t a great move. He can salvage that by coming here (to Boston) and joining some of the people he respects has and connections with.”
This is all a pipe dream for now, and it’s still unclear whether the Celtics could actually broker a trade for Durant. They should probably send Jaylen Brownat least one other core player and a host of first-round picks to Brooklyn to close a deal, and they would be saddled with Durant’s huge contract throughout his 37-year season.
But if Durant is serious about leaving Brooklyn, there are indications that the Celtics would at least tempt him as a possible destination.