We are on Durant's short list

[DERRENMATTS]

It was released that we are on a very short list of teams Durant will have an interview with.

www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/6/25/12028932/kevin-durant-free-agency-2016-nba-warriors-spurs-thunder-plans?_ga=1.20201720.134898993.1449989363

The names you'd expect to hear are OKC, GS and SAS. The others are the Clippers, the Heat, and us.

What's interesting about our inclusion among these teams is we lack the All-NBA teamers all those other teams have. Thunder has Westbrook. Spurs have Kawhi. The Warriors have Curry. Clippers have Paul. The Heat have Wade (though he's no longer in his prime). We have a 5'8" one time All-Star Isaiah Thomas, and that's it!! No other All-Star, let alone an All-NBA teamer.

To me, this really speaks well about what Durant thinks of us "as a team". I doubt he'll consider us just because we have Isaiah Thomas. But when you factor in one of the brightest young coaches in the league, when you factor in our all-for-one-one-for-all attitude, our defensive identity, our grit and hustle, our never say never, fight till the end swagger, our Boston fans, our tradition -- I can see why Durant would consider us, while not considering teams like the Hawks, or the Raptors, who are similar to us.

Its exciting to play for us and be a part of our positive energy.

[afceltic]

Here's a good article that sums up a possible pitch to KD. I didn't know that we get to swap first round picks with the Nets next year along with their first round pick in 2018. I guess that is how they got around the rule that you can't trade first round picks in consecutive years. To sum it up we have the money for him to pick whoever he wants as a FA and we can sign them with the $$$$ we have. If that player is on another team we have the assets to trade for them. Then likely a top 3 pick at worst in the nest two drafts with the chance of having the [HASH]1 pick in the next two drafts.

So all isn't lost yet, even if we don't get KD, we have a lot of stability and that assets to be a contender with or without KD.

espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4723407/pitch-perfect-celtics-could-make-strong-case-to-kevin-durant

[DERRENMATTS]

Plus, of those other 5 teams Durant is considering, we are the only that has the cap space to add 2 max contracts.

Plus, it doesn't hurt having close friends (Perk, IT) telling you from first hand experience that Boston is a great place and organization to play for.

[DERRENMATTS]

Sounds like Durant will start meeting with teams on July 1st (start of free agency) and will make his decision before he leaves for his tour on July 9th (from what I understand).

I think he's putting pressure on himself to make a decision so quickly because it will give the team he chooses lots of time to go after other free agents (especially the ones that Durant specified he wants to play with).

Maybe Horford, like we've heard about at the trade deadline?

[jmost]

Supposedly Durant (or his team) gave the Celtics a list of players Durant he'd like to play with. I'd love to know who's on that list, and their contract status. And if he's not at least somewhat seriously considering the Celtics, why even meet with them? I still think he'll go back to OKC for one more year, but who knows?

[DERRENMATTS]

Hard to say what KD will do, but I gotta think that KD is the type that doesn't want to go through this again. He probably doesn't want to go through another season of uncertainty.

Plus, now is the time to make the jump. He already knows the type of player Westbrook is, and he probably feels the shift, that more and more fans are enamored with Russell more than him. And OKC just traded away Serg Ibaka, breaking up the team that had a 3-1 lead on the Warriors.

If I had to go through a process of elimination, I'd cross off OKC. I'd cross off Miami too because they are a shaky team (Bosh might not play ever again, Whiteside could be gone, Wade is going to go on a downward slide soon).

I'd cross off the Clippers too, but its more of a hunch (they don't give off a positive vibe).

It'll come down to us, the Warriors, and the Spurs.

[freshnthehouse]

I still think he'll go back to OKC (for at least a year), but it's very cool that he is considering boston.

Dream scenario. We sign durant. We use the rest of our cap room on either a 1 year deal for Pau Gasol or we sign bismack biyombo to a front loaded deal (i'd prefer the latter). then next season we use the last of our cap room and get westbrook.

a guy can dream, right?