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The chances are extremely thin that Kevin Durant will pick the Celtics as his new team this summer.
...so you're telling me there's a chance!
Let's start with the obvious.
Here are all the reasons why hoping for Kevin Durant is a pipe dream.
Every team in the NBA will have cap space this summer due to the increased money from the TV deal kicking in. If Golden State thinks they have a real shot at him, they can clear the space to get him. If the Cavs or Clippers or Heat or any other team with stars in place thinks they can nab Durant, they can make that happen.
If he wants to go "home" (he grew up in Baltimore) then he can sign with the Wizards and team up with Wall and Beal. If he wants to stay in his current "home" he can re-sign with the Thunder. He even has options there. He can sign for a max extension and lock in for the long haul. Or he can maintain flexibility and perhaps maximize his future earnings by signing a 2-year deal with an out after the first year (so essentially a 1-year deal), as ESPN.com's Zach Lowe has suggested for some time. That would allow him to sign for a higher pay increase next summer and/or take his exit from OKC at the same time that Russell Westbrook does.
There are intangible reasons for Durant to want to stay in OKC. He seems to like the small market. He doesn't seem to like aggressive media types (like, say, the ones in Boston). He's loyal to his guys (like Westbrook). He might just simply feel the most comfortable in OKC.
Regardless, if you stack up all the options put before him and asked me to pick his landing spot, my guess is that he'd stay in OKC for at least one more year. With all that said...
Here's my humble case for Boston as a potential landing spot.
Durant has had great teammates over the years, but he's seldom had a deep team of effective role players that know their role and fill in the gaps. The Thunder are top-heavy and have holes in their roster that aren't effectively filled. The Celtics are the opposite. They have all the support players you'd ever need, but they just need that one transcendent star to make the leap.
Here's another thing in Boston's favor: Brad Stevens. With all due respect to the coaches that Durant has had, Stevens could be the best coach he's ever played for. He's got the brains, the system, and the demeanor that Kevin could buy into straight away and not miss a beat. If Durant wants a coach that will put him in position to win every night, there aren't many better choices.
As for running mates, Isaiah Thomas isn't on the level of Russell Westbrook, but he's a star player in his own right, and he's proven that he can handle his share of the scoring load. In addition, the Celtics could free up additional cap space to add another impact free agent. Perhaps someone like Al Horford (who would likely jump at the chance to team up with KD). Or if that isn't the best option, we've got draft picks and trade assets to go out and land a guy that's available via trade. If all else fails, the team still has a young, growing core, and they can add whomever they land with the Nets pick to that core.
So why not Boston?
I'm not about to invest my hopes and dreams in this fantasy. Nobody, not even Kevin, knows where he's going to land this summer. A lot can change in a few months, too. At best, the Celtics have an outside shot of landing Durant. But just being in the conversation is a huge deal, and you just never know until you give it a shot.