Not surprisingly, the Celtics have emerged as a landing spot for Durant, as ESPN and The Athletic reported Monday. As Sports Illustrated wrote several weeks ago, Boston was always a natural landing spot for Durant. Not only are the Celtics, who last season made the Finals for the first time in more than a decade, the kind of contending team that could ride Durant, but they also have the assets to land him. Jaylen Brown is 25 years old, an All-Star with two years left on his contract. Boston could have one or more role players (Derrick White, Grant Williams) and still have a few years of draft picks and/or trade rights.
I would even go so far as to say that as of now, Boston should be considered the favorite to land Durant. Consider the landscape: Phoenix couldn’t make anything work when Deandre Ayton was a free agent, and now that he’s signed a four-year max-level extension that makes him impossible to trade until Jan. 15, after which the Suns would need his clearance in the first year — Phoenix options are limited. Miami can’t trade Bam Adebayo to Brooklyn under NBA salary rules as long as Ben Simmons is on the Nets’ roster — there are some in the NBA who don’t believe the Heat would trade Bam for Durant, anyway — and a package headlined by Tyler Herro isn’t enough. Warriors GM Bob Myers played down the possibility of Golden State re-acquiring Durant. And I’m told there’s been no traction with Toronto since the Raptors have shown no interest in trading Scottie Barnes. There’s been talk of Utah getting involved, Donovan Mitchell being sent to Brooklyn, and a boatload of draft picks landing in the Jazz’s arms, but nothing substantial there either.
Why would the Celtics want Durant? Skeptics point out that the odds have made Boston the title favorite without Durant. The Celtics filled up in the offseason with the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari and continue to hunt for a backup center. Brown averaged nearly 24 points per game last season after the All-Star break, when he and the Celtics got healthy, on 50.6% shooting from the floor and 37.3% from three. Had Boston tried to beat Golden State, Brown’s odds would have been Finals MVP.
But here’s the thing: try telling the Boston brass that the Celtics are a sure thing for a return trip to the Finals. They know that if the Bucks’ Khris Middleton had been healthy, the Celtics’ season likely would have ended in the second round last year. And if Jimmy Butler had some legs left, Miami would have won Game 7 of the conference finals against Boston. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has reloaded and Atlanta and Cleveland are better.
As good as the Celtics were last season, this team could be one injury away from being knocked out of the playoffs early next season.
Durant changes that. The pairing of Durant and Jayson Tatum would make Boston one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA. Remember all those problems the Celtics had creating offense in the Finals? Gone. And while Durant’s age (34 in September) and injury history are legitimate concerns, a healthy Durant still looked like one of the best players in the league last season, suggesting his game is aging well. If that happens, Boston suddenly has a four-year window — the length of Durant’s contract — to win a title.
Why should Durant play in Boston? As far as we know — and we know very little about this situation, including the specific reasons Durant wants to be traded — the Celtics are not on Durant’s list of preferred teams. But Boston was the team Durant faced in 2016 when Durant was a free agent. He has a strong relationship with Al Horford, who considered signing with Oklahoma City in ’16 if Durant had decided to stay. He is familiar with Ime Udoka, who worked in Brooklyn during the 20-21 season. And Durant wants to win. On paper, the Celtics may offer him the best shot.
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So what happens next? Not much, apparently. If the Nets and Celtics have traded offers, as reported by The Athletic, both will likely sit for a while. Boston, along with the rest of the NBA, will want to see if Brooklyn is really willing to bring Durant to training camp. If the Nets don’t — and it might be late August or early September before we know the answer to that — their asking price could drop. If they do, the Celtics could bolster their offer if they want to pry Durant loose.
Which brings us to the last point. Boston may need to increase its offer. The news that the Celtics made another run at Durant was not surprising. But it certainly couldn’t have helped the franchise’s relationship with Brown, who has been mentioned in trade rumors for several years. For Kawhi Leonard. For Anthony Davis. Now Durant. It would be understandable if Brown, who has been removed from the finals for months, is upset at being seen as expendable again. On Monday, Brown tweeted “Smh” shortly after reports of Boston’s interest in Durant broke.
Brown has only been professional during his time in Boston. But he’s also two years away from free agency. He signed a contract that, since it was below market value at the time, makes it highly unlikely that he will sign an extension before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2024. The Celtics could offer Brown the most money — as we’ve seen with Bradley Beal. and Damian Lillard, is a huge asset, but it’s still possible Brown could just sign elsewhere.
This might be Boston’s best chance for a big hit. The Celtics understandably don’t want to include Marcus Smart in a Durant deal. And Robert Williams III is probably out of bounds. But they have options. And they know it’s possible, maybe even likely, that Brown is the best center in a trade Brooklyn has officially offered. It might be a game of chicken for a while. Boston will have to see if the Nets blink.
Can any team outbid the Knicks for Donovan Mitchell? Or do you see him eventually getting there? —@iwasmmueller88
Rumors swirled on social media this past weekend that a Mitchell signing between the Knicks and Jazz was imminent. I’ve been told it isn’t. See, that’s exactly the kind of situation Danny Ainge likes. He’s a young star under long-term contract and has a chance to spark a bidding war. Miami can offer Tyler Herro and a bunch of picks/trades. Phoenix can offer Mikal bridges and a bunch of options/exchanges. The Raptors could offer OG Anunoby and a bunch of picks/trades.
In short, the Knicks have competition. Real competition. There is no urgency in Utah to replace Mitchell before the season begins. Mitchell has not publicly requested a deal. And Jazz is mediocre regardless. I covered Ainget in Boston for a long time. He gets what he wants or he doesn’t make the deal. I’ve had countless conversations with rival executives who are frustrated by the unwillingness of Ainge’s Celtics to negotiate what they believe are reasonable deals.
The question is, who will give Ainge the package he likes? Trust me, someone does. Are the Knicks desperate to get Mitchell? Is it Miami? The Phoenix? Could another team come out of the woodwork? Minnesota was desperate to add Rudy Gobert, so they gave up a lot of assets to get him. Who is the team that will do the same for Mitchell?
Tell me about Spurs next season. Thank you! —@BernieBahrmasel
Close your eyes and think of Victor Wembanyama.
Thoughts on a potential extension for Kevin Porter Jr.? —@JTGatlin
Rockets fans — and occasional podcasters like my man Jackson — like to remind me that I was critical of Porter after Porter collided with assistant coach John Lucas II at halftime and left the arena shortly afterward, according to ESPN. I wrote that Houston should cut ties with Porter and Christian Wood, who was involved in a separate incident in the same game that led to the suspension. The Rockets moved Wood last month, trading him to Dallas for the 26th pick and a bunch of guys who will never play meaningful minutes for them. Next is the verdict on Porter.
The Rockets aren’t going to dump Porter. But it says here that they shouldn’t extend him either. Porter had a solid statistical season last year. He averaged 15.6 points, 6.2 assists and shot 37.5% from three. Talking to people in and around the Rockets organization during summer league, Porter is a beloved man among teammates and support staff. However, Houston won 20 games last season. It won 17 years earlier, in the 2020-21 season shortened by COVID-19. As good as Porter has looked, he has yet to win.
If you’re Houston, what’s the rush? Play a full season of Porter with Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and Alperen Şengün and see how it goes. If things go well, Houston could re-sign Porter after the season or extend a qualifying offer to give them the rights. For me anyway, it doesn’t make sense to tie up money long term, not so many questions.
If the Kings’ goal is to make the playoffs, is their current roster good enough? —@DokkNBA
Here’s the thing: I love Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis — Fox and Ox, already one of the best nicknames in the NBA — played very well in their limited time last season. I think Kevin Huerter will play well in an expanded role and Davion Mitchell will be a bigger factor in his second season, especially if his 3-point shooting improves. Keegan Murray, the Vegas Summer League MVP, looked as good as he could. Harrison Barnes and Malik Monk carry what appears to be a pretty solid run. And I think Mike Brown was a smart head coach after years on the Warriors bench.
Monte McNair and Wes Wilcox have put together a nice team here. Do I think the Kings will make the playoffs? The West is loaded, so it’s hard to make that call right now. But I think Sacramento is going to be a playoff team, and if things go right, it could finally end that 16-year playoff drought.
