I think Boston can make one of the best packages for KD and still have a team good enough remaining.
Something like this would be hard for other teams to beat:
Durant for Brown, Grant, Nesmith, 23 1st, 25 1st, 27 1st
Very tough for another team to beat that and it would still leave BY FAR the favorites to win the title over the next couple of seasons
Smart, White, Tatum, Durant, Horford, Rob, Theis, Pritchard with still having the TPE's to absorb unwanted salary and the TMLE to be used.
I'd do it. You almost have to. For good measure I'd try to get O'Neal for Theis to get wing depth and then try to sign PJ Tucker for TMLE (if he'd take that). See if you can get another center for the TPE or a ring-chaser.
Essentially throwing away our entire future for a chance to win now, sounds like something Brooklyn would do. Not the Celtics.
No thanks on that deal.
Absolutely not!! Durant is 34. He’s still very good, but he’s mortal now, which is why Jayson Tatum was blocking his shot in the playoffs last year. No thanks.
Or maybe it is because Brooklyn had a terrible roster construction and no help for Durant. He didn't shoot well, but still averaged basically 26/6/6 in the series.
As I've said elsewhere, Boston has to enter this offseason like Middleton didn't get hurt and Boston lost to Milwaukee in the ECS. If you look at the team like that, it has work to do. Thinking this past post-season run was likely or repeatable is how a team ends up in the very good, but not great area. Adding a top 5 guy like Durant while keeping your best player, your 3rd best player, your 4th best player, your 5th best player, and your 6th best player is a no brainer every single time. Even if that guy is 34 and with some injuries in his past, especially when said player is locked up for 4 more years.
Boston would be the heavy favorites to win the title over the next 2 or 3 seasons. HEAVY. You have to do that without giving it a 2nd thought.