Mannix: Boston dark horse for Durant

[Eddie20]

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-wizards-fans-shouldn-t-count-on-scott-brooks-to-lure-kevin-durant-010418933.html

Washington got its man, its coach, just don't expect him to be much more. The Summer of Durant will be wild, with Durant eager to be courted, to see how other teams operate. Golden State will be in the mix, San Antonio too, while Boston lurks as a dark horse, the Eastern Conference alternative if Durant chooses to extract himself from the bruising Western Conference playoffs.

Washington will come, with Wall, with Brooks, with promises of building a sustainable contender in Durant's own backyard. And the Wizards should. They will fight for the hometown star, right up until he tells them he isn't interested in them fighting anymore.

Update:

Mannix on Felger and Mazz and he's answering questions on Durant. Initially he thought there was no chance on Durant coming to Boston. However, he said that he started coming around on Durant to Boston during OKC's last visit to Boston when he started hearing from Durant's people that if there was an Eastern conference team it would be Boston. However, Boston can't come with Thomas, draft picks, etc. If Boston comes to the table with another player acquired through a trade, like a Jimmy Butler, it would be incredibly enticing for Durant. 

He's eager to see how teams operate. Organizations like Golden State, San Antonio, and Boston where he's heard so much about. He wants that moment.

[manl_lui]

anyone know the relationship between Durant and Scott Brooks? With that hiring in Washington and Durant being from there, I think that might also be an option. While I would LOVE Durant to come to Boston, I think he is most likely to stay in OKC. I don't see Golden State really being an option. What is their salary cap like? I would assume they would save some of that to maintain their main core sometime in the near future. How would Durant affect that?

San Antonio, I don't see that as well.

[Big333223]

Boston probably has as good of a chance as any team that's not OKC to sign Durant this summer. I just think the chance of Durant leaving OKC is next to nothing. There are too many financial and basketball reasons to stay.

[Eddie20]

anyone know the relationship between Durant and Scott Brooks? With that hiring in Washington and Durant being from there, I think that might also be an option.

From the Mannix article...

Durant isn't bound for Washington, friends say, because … it's Washington, it's home, and, like so many athletes, Durant isn't all that keen on returning to play in the city in which he grew up. Friends, family – some real, some claiming to be – all come out of the woodwork in those situations, and Durant, who has tightened his inner circle considerably in recent years, isn't interested in dealing with them. His lone trip to D.C. this season was stressful, league sources told The Vertical, reinforcing to friends that wherever Durant signs next summer, Washington won't be it.

[TheSundanceKid]

Boston probably has as good of a chance as any team that's not OKC to sign Durant this summer. I just think the chance of Durant leaving OKC is next to nothing. There are too many financial and basketball reasons to stay.

The thing is for these top players their NBA salary is small compared to their endorsement deals. So whilst they will want to maximise income I don't think its the be all and end all as people think it. Would Durant make up for the loss in NBA salary with extra endorsement money? If so then why not choose the more appealing destination?

I don't think he'd leave this summer, I think they'll have another run next year and he can align his FA with Westbrook and Ibaka. But financially I think the reasoning that he will stay in OKC is overplayed

[PaulAllen]

Mannix has no insight to Durants destination.. He is just trying to speculate and doing a poor job doing it... anyone can write a Homer article to help fans get over getting destroyed game 2..

Ill tell you this is the Celtics lose this series they have 0 chance landing Durant

[Eddie20]

Mannix has no insight to Durants destination.. He is just trying to speculate and doing a poor job doing it... anyone can write a Homer article to help fans get over getting destroyed game 2..

Ill tell you this is the Celtics lose this series they have 0 chance landing Durant

Mannix is very reputable and writes for The Vertical. In fact, this isn't even about the C's. It's a national piece about the Brooks signing and the snippet about the Celtics was just that.

The Heat (a 5th seed) were dispatched by the C's in the 1st round in just 5 games. They signed James and Bosh a couple of months later.

[CoachBo]

I think a lot of Boston's appeal to Durant will depend on other moves.

He's not going to come here as the only significant addition to the roster besides the rookies in the draft. He's going to want a veteran core around him, and we are short of what I suspect he's looking for.

[TwinTower14]

I was just looking at Durant endorsements.  10 year 300 million, that runs through 2024 with a 50 million dollar retirement package with Nike.  So, I think he may be in a position financially to leave some money on the table to go to a place where he thinks he can win a title.  If I was him, I would be looking at Boston and Washington as my two spots.  He needs to move to the eastern conference so he doesn't have to run the gauntlet to get to the finals and he is maxed out at OKC....

[PaulAllen]

Mannix has no insight to Durants destination.. He is just trying to speculate and doing a poor job doing it... anyone can write a Homer article to help fans get over getting destroyed game 2..

Ill tell you this is the Celtics lose this series they have 0 chance landing Durant

Mannix is very reputable and writes for The Vertical. In fact, this isn't even about the C's. It's a national piece about the Brooks signing and the snippet about the Celtics was just that.

The Heat (a 5th seed) were dispatched by the C's in the 1st round in just 5 games. They signed James and Bosh a couple of months later.

Miami is a destination spot where Boston is not.. Luxurious beaches and warm year weather all the other perks not mention no state Tax so they keep most of their contract.. Second Wade was already there and he recruited James and Anthony, where they eventually settled on Bosh to join.. completely different circumstances.. 3rd Boston has never signed a FA in his prime so put it at .00001% Durant becomes a Celtic

[Moranis]

I was just looking at Durant endorsements.  10 year 300 million, that runs through 2024 with a 50 million dollar retirement package with Nike.  So, I think he may be in a position financially to leave some money on the table to go to a place where he thinks he can win a title.  If I was him, I would be looking at Boston and Washington as my two spots.  He needs to move to the eastern conference so he doesn't have to run the gauntlet to get to the finals and he is maxed out at OKC....

In that scenario, why wouldn't he go to Toronto?  56 win team that could use him.  Slots right into the DeRozan role, yet a lot better.

Miami would also fit that criteria as Joe Johnson is their starting SF. 

This notion that Boston is the front runner seems odd to me.

[Eddie20]

Mannix has no insight to Durants destination.. He is just trying to speculate and doing a poor job doing it... anyone can write a Homer article to help fans get over getting destroyed game 2..

Ill tell you this is the Celtics lose this series they have 0 chance landing Durant

Mannix is very reputable and writes for The Vertical. In fact, this isn't even about the C's. It's a national piece about the Brooks signing and the snippet about the Celtics was just that.

The Heat (a 5th seed) were dispatched by the C's in the 1st round in just 5 games. They signed James and Bosh a couple of months later.

Miami is a destination spot where Boston is not.. Luxurious beaches and warm year weather all the other perks not mention no state Tax so they keep most of their contract.. Second Wade was already there and he recruited James and Anthony, where they eventually settled on Bosh to join.. completely different circumstances.. 3rd Boston has never signed a FA in his prime so put it at .00001% Durant becomes a Celtic

When we were contending we had free agents choose us over other contending teams. We had guys like Murphy, Shaq, Sheed, etc. come to Boston over "luxury spots". The fact is we haven't had money in a long time, so let's not confuse being financially capable with not being able to.

[slamtheking]

I was just looking at Durant endorsements.  10 year 300 million, that runs through 2024 with a 50 million dollar retirement package with Nike.  So, I think he may be in a position financially to leave some money on the table to go to a place where he thinks he can win a title.  If I was him, I would be looking at Boston and Washington as my two spots.  He needs to move to the eastern conference so he doesn't have to run the gauntlet to get to the finals and he is maxed out at OKC....

In that scenario, why wouldn't he go to Toronto?  56 win team that could use him.  Slots right into the DeRozan role, yet a lot better.

Miami would also fit that criteria as Joe Johnson is their starting SF. 

This notion that Boston is the front runner seems odd to me.

especially after our last 2 games in the playoffs.  while adding Durant certainly improves the team, we still have issues with a weak front court, lack of other shooters besides IT and a PG that can run an offense effectively  (IT isn't that type of PG)

[Atzar]

I think a lot of Boston's appeal to Durant will depend on other moves.

He's not going to come here as the only significant addition to the roster besides the rookies in the draft. He's going to want a veteran core around him, and we are short of what I suspect he's looking for.

Agree with this.

I think Durant will view us much like KG did.  KG had little interest in being traded to us when the pitch was "come play with Pierce", but once we landed Ray Allen, his tune changed.

Right now our pitch is IT and Brad Stevens.  He'd also be the top dog here, while he wouldn't be that at GS or arguably OKC.  I kind of doubt that's enough for him, given that he's never previously expressed interest in coming here (aside from the [dang]ing-with-faint-praise comments he gave the Boston media to get them off of his nuts).  But I do think there are several potential Ray Allen situations available in this offseason (including but not limited to Cousins and Butler), and we'd look really attractive to KD if one of them came to fruition.

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