The Kevin Durant saga is far from over. His request for the Brooklyn Nets to choose between him and the duo of head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks still stands even though Nets owner Joe Tsai has already made it clear which side he is leaning on. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Boston Celtics are virtually the leading team at the moment in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.

“Among the executives with whom I spoke, a Boston deal with Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece appears to be the unofficial front-runner here. In general terms, sources say the Nets are using the fact that the Celtics (and perhaps other teams) have made their second-best player available as a baseline of sorts in negotiations. Translation: If you’re still trying to discuss a Durant deal without putting your second-best talent on the table, then just stop wasting everyone’s time and bow out of this race.”

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With Durant wanting out of the Nets, it would take an enormous package for any team to acquire the services of the future Hall of Famer. Giving up Jaylen Brown must sting for the Celtics, especially because Boston was the team that selected him in the 2016 NBA Draft, but Kevin Durant is also not a shabby return in such a potential deal with the Nets.

Durant is on the wrong side of 30 but he is still arguably the most lethal offensive force in the league today, with a few more great years left in him. At the same time, he is also pretty expensive, with still four more years remaining on his current deal that would pay him at least $42 million each season until the 2025-26 campaign when he's 37.