It should come as no surprise that the Celtics emerged as a landing point for Durant, as did ESPN and the athlete I mentioned Monday. as such Sports Illustrated Written several weeks ago, Boston has always been a natural landing point for Durant. Not only were the Celtics, first-time finalists in over a decade last season, the kind of contender that would run Durant, they’re also armed with the assets to get it. At 25 years old, Jaylen Brown is an All-Star star with two years remaining on his contract. Boston can have one or more players (Derek White, Grant Williams) and have a few more years of draft picks and/or swap rights to deal.
I’d even go so far as to say that as of now, Boston should be considered the favorite To land on Durant. Consider the scene: Phoenix couldn’t do anything while Deandre Ayton was a free agent, now that he’s signed a four-year extension at the max level – an extension that makes his trading anywhere impossible until January 15th, after which the Suns will need his permission in the year First – Phoenix’s options are limited. Miami can’t swap Pam Adebayo for Brooklyn, according to the NBA’s salary rules, as long as Ben Simmons is on the Nets — there are some in the NBA who don’t think the Heat will replace Pam for Durant, anyway — and the Tyler Herro package A title is not enough. Veterans General Manager Bob Myers has dropped the possibility of reclaiming the Golden State Durant. And I was told there was no attraction with Toronto, as the Raptors showed no interest in trading with Scotty Barnes. There has been some talk of Utah involvement, with Donovan Mitchell being thrust into Brooklyn and carrying a boat of draft picks in Jazz’s lap, but there’s nothing substantial there either.
This leaves… Boston.
Why would the Celtics want Durant? Skeptics will point out that the odds-makers made Boston the favorites to win the title without Durant. The Celtics are loaded into the offseason, adding Malcolm Brugdon and Danilo Galinari, and are still looking for a reserve position. Brown averaged nearly 24 points per game last season with above-ground shooting percentages (50.6%) and a three-point range (37.3%) after the All-Star break, when he — and the Celtics — were healthy. If Boston has gone up to beat Golden State, there’s a good chance Brown would be the best player in the Finals.
But here’s the thing: Try telling the Boston team mates the Celtics are a surefire trip back to the Finals. They know that if the Bucks’ Chris Middleton was healthy, the Celtics’ season could have ended in the second round last year. And if Jimmy Butler had a little left in his legs, Miami would have won Game Seven of the Conference Finals against Boston. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is reloading, and Atlanta and Cleveland will be better.
Despite how well the Celtics performed last season, this team could be one injury away from exiting the playoffs early in the next stage.
Durant changes that. Durant and Jayson Tatum’s pairing would give Boston one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA. Remember all those troubles the Celtics created in the Finals? He went. And while Durant’s age (34 in September) and injury date are legitimate concerns, when Durant was in good health he still looked like one of the league’s top players last season, suggesting his game will be aging well. If that happens, Boston suddenly has a four-year — Durant contract term — window to win the title.
Why does Durant want to play in Boston? As far as we know – and we know very little about the situation, including the specific reasons Durant wants to be traded – the Celtics were not on Durant’s team favourite list. But Boston I was Durant’s team met him in 2016, when Durant was a free agent. He has a strong relationship with Al Horford, who thought so highly of signing with Oklahoma City in ’16 that Durant chose to stay there. He’s familiar with Ime Udoka, Brooklyn’s assistant during the 20-21 season. Durant wants to win. On paper, the Celtics might give him the best shot.
So what will happen next? Probably not much. If the Nets and Celtics exchange offers, such as the athlete I mentioned, they will likely both be sitting on it for a while. Boston, along with the rest of the NBA, wants to see if Brooklyn is really ready to bring Durant to training camp. If the Nets aren’t – and it might be late August or early September before we know the answer to that – the asking price could drop. If so, the Celtics may have to boost their offer if they want to weed out Durant.
Which brings us to the last point. Boston may You have to increase its width. Once again, the news that the Celtics are running at Durant came as no surprise. But it certainly couldn’t have helped the franchise’s relationship with Brown, who was mentioned in trade rumors for several years. For Kawhi Leonard. Anthony Davis. Now Durant. It would be understandable for Brown, months after the final round ended, to get angry at being considered unexpendable again. On Monday, Brown tweeted “Smh” shortly after reports of Boston’s interest in Durant spread.
Brown was nothing but a professional during his time in Boston. But he’s also two years away from free agency. He signed a contract that, given it was below market value at the time, makes it unlikely to extend before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2024. The Celtics could offer Brown the most money – which is what we saw with Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard Big advantage – but Brown could still simply be signed elsewhere.
This might be Boston’s best chance to get big swing. It is understood that the Celtics team did not want to include Marcus Smart in the Durant deal. And Robert Williams III is probably out of bounds. But they have options. And they know that it is possible, and perhaps also likely, that Brown will be the best central component of any trade officially on display in Brooklyn. This might be a chicken game for a while. Boston will have to see if the nets blink.
Can any team actually bid the Knicks for Donovan Mitchell? Or do you just see him end up there at the end? –MustafaHosny Oh God, Amen
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Rumors swirled on social media last weekend that a deal between the Knicks and Jazz for Mitchell was imminent. I was told it is not. Look, that’s it exactly The kind of situation that Danny Aing would love to be in. He’s secured a young star with a long-term contract and the potential for a bidding war. Miami could offer Tyler Herro and a host of picks/swaps. Phoenix can offer Mikal Bridges and a range of picks/swaps. The Raptors OG Anunoby can offer and a host of picks/swaps.
In short, the Knicks have competition. Reality Competition. There is no urgent need in Utah to trade Mitchell before the start of the season. Mitchell never publicly asked to trade. And jazz will be modest, regardless. I have covered Ainge for a long time in Boston. He’ll get what he wants, or he won’t make a deal. I’ve had countless conversations with rival CEOs frustrated with Ainge’s Celtics’ unwillingness to negotiate what they saw as reasonable deals.
The question is, who is going to give Ainge the package they love? Trust me, someone will. Are the Knicks desperate to get Mitchell? Is Miami? Is Phoenix? Could another team get out of the woodwork? Minnesota was desperate to add Rudy Gobert, so they gave up a bunch of assets to get him. Who will be the team that will do the same for Mitchell?
Tell me about Tottenham heading into next season. Thanks! –Tweet embed
Close your eyes and think of Victor Wimpanyama.
Thoughts on a possible extension for Kevin Porter Jr.? –Tweet embed
Rockets fans — and sometimes podcasters, like My Leg Jackson — like to remind me that I was a critic of Porter in the wake of Porter’s clash with assistant coach John Lucas in the first half, and according to ESPN, he left the arena shortly thereafter. She wrote that Houston should cut ties with Porter and Christian Wood, who was involved in a separate incident in the same match that led to the suspension. missiles she did Wood moved last month, moving him to Dallas for the 26th pick and a group of players who would never play meaningful minutes for them. The decision on Porter is next.
The Rockets won’t get rid of Porter. But here he says they shouldn’t extend it either. Porter had a solid statistical season last year. He averaged 15.6 points, made 6.2 assists and 37.5% of his threes. Speaking to people in and around the Rockets’ Summer League organization, Porter is a well-liked man among his teammates and support staff. But Houston won 20 games last season. She won 17 the previous year, during the shortened 2020-21 COVID-19 season. As good as Porter looked, he had yet to contribute to the win.
If you’re Houston, what’s the rush? Enjoy an entire season of Porter playing alongside Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and Alperen Şengün, and see how it goes. If all goes well, Houston could either sign Porter for a new post-season deal or extend a qualifying bid to give them match rights. It doesn’t make sense, to me, anyway, to commit to long-term money, and not with so many questions still lingering.
If the Kings’ goal is to make the playoffs, is their current roster good enough? –Tweet embed
Here’s the thing: I love Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis – Fox and Ox, who is already one of the best nicknames in the NBA – played really well during their limited time together last season. I think Kevin Hotter would do well in an extended role, and Davion Mitchell will be a bigger factor in his second season, especially if his three-point shot improves. Keegan Murray, MVP of the Vegas Summer League, looked as good as he could possibly be. Harrison Barnes and Malik Monk have what feels like a pretty strong spin. And I think Mike Brown, after years on the Warriors bench, was a smart employee as head coach.
Monty McNair and Wes Wilcox made a great team here. Do I think the Kings are in the playoffs? the West loader So it’s hard to make that call now. But I think Sacramento is going to be a team to play, and if things go wrong, it could end that 16-year drought.
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