The Boston Celtics came up just short of winning an NBA title last season. Could a move to pair Jayson Tatum with Kevin Durant be considered should he force his way out of the Brooklyn Nets?
That's at least what Celtics cult hero Brian Scalabrine thinks could go down. In a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Scal was vocal on why he believes that Boston has the best trade package for Kevin Durant:
“There's no better package than the Boston Celtics. Jaylen Brown, three picks, two rights to swap and Daniel Theis, the money works. You’re getting the All-Star caliber player, and you’re getting picks moving forward,” said Scalabrine on why his former club has the best shot at KD.
Beyond just having a solid trade offer on the table, the White Mamba also pointed out Durant's ties with the Celtics. After all, often when it comes to these superstar trades, you'd need the buy-in of said player to make things work. A team isn't going to give up a treasure trove of assets if they're unsure that the star even wants to be there.
“And you have to understand that there is a connection. The Al Horford connection with Kevin Durant, they were kind of linked during that free agency when he went to Golden State. He loves Marcus Smart as a player, the Hamptons visit, all that stuff. Ime Udoka, he coached him, and he’s always chatting it up with Udoka on the sideline during the game, and you get a chance to play with Jayson Tatum, a guy he’s played on the Olympic team with him, where they worked out together and stuff like that. So, there is a connection. It’s not crazy to think that something like that could happen if, if and only if, Kevin Durant decides, ‘Alright, I want to be out of here.'”
Kevin Durant's future remains up in the air. While the Celtics likely won't want to mess with their young core led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, it's likely something that will cross Brad Stevens's mind if the opportunity makes itself available.