I think the longevity of Horford needs to be factored in. Perhaps we only have a two-year window, regardless of what happens with Durant / JB.
I don't think one can ignore Horford's age, but at the same time he's our 4th-best player when healthy? 5th? Maybe 6th depending on what a healthier Brogdon looks like (if we get one)? He's good, but I don't think he's window-defining. Tatum and Brown are the primary structures of that window. Smart is to a lesser degree, as is Rob, with Rob having a chance to overtake Smart with a season that shows last year was no fluke and he has fully recovered. Horford is a 4th or 5th starter, and while I love him, championship teams usually rotate through players those without their window closing.
The window closes if JB walks, so if the Celtics think he's walking in two years, trading for Durant could make sense, because Durant opens the window wider over those same two years. But Horford really shouldn't factor into the window discussion. He's not foundational at this point in his career.
I think you’re underrating hoe difficult it will be to maintain our defensive identity and size advantage without Horford. We just don’t have a viable replacement for him.
I mentioned this a week or so ago. Horford is old, Smart is a smaller guard who is always hurt and is now entering year 9, Rob is always hurt, Brogdon and Gallo are on the wrong side of 30. The team might really only have a 2 to 3 year window anyway even though Tatum and Brown are younger, it will be hard to build around them when they are 70% of the cap.
All the more reason to really go all in and acquire Durant.
So Marcus Smart is a “small guard” at 6’4”/220lbs? Also, Brogdon is still 29. I will have what you’re having. 
Marcus is not small for a point guard, but he spent a lot of time playing much larger SG's and SF's and as a result took a much larger beating than someone who would have played PG his entire career. I don't think it is a coincidence that he had his healthiest season over the last several years playing mostly at PG, but even still he still missed 11 games. I just don't think he is going to last all that much longer at or near his current level of play. A season or two, for sure, but projecting Smart to be a DPOY type candidate 3 or more years down the line, seems like a very bad bet. And that was the underlying point I was making, the team is set up to win now, not 5 years from now, and I just don't think the duo of Tatum and Brown is good enough to win now. That is why I'd make a move. I can understand why people wouldn't Durant, as he is a whiny baby on a lot of things, but he is also a darn good basketball player and would make Boston the runaway favorite to win the title over the next couple of seasons if Boston acquired him. That is why I'd do it.
Which teams do you think are in a better position to win over the Celtics for the next 3-5 years? Who has a better 25 and under duo than JB/JT?
I'd say Denver, Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans, Oklahoma City,, and Minnesota are in the mix. Thankfully not nearly the teams in the East, though Giannis will still be awesome, but it will be hard for the Bucks to rebuild when their other guys age out. Raptors and Cavs certainly could be, but it depends a lot on how their 2nd year guys i.e. Mobley and Barnes, progress and if they reach their ceilings. If LaMelo wasn't on the Hornets you could look at them, but Jordan will mess that up. And you never really know how the uber young teams will progress. Like Detroit or Houston may be awesome or they could blow. A lot can happen in 3 to 5 years, but it is always harder for a team with multiple max contracts to fill in the pieces than one with rookie contract players. And of course that says nothing about the teams like the Lakers and Heat that always seem to land excellent players in free agency.
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Topic: New Celtics / Durant rumor (Read 62576 times)