Al Horford and Kevin Durant (Photo : Getty Images)
Jimmy Butler (Photo : REUTERS)
The NBA Free agency rumors have started to swirl as the biggest fish in the pond has already been unleashed.
While Kevin Durant has brushed off free agency talks as he is still smarting from the Oklahoma City Thunder's major collapse against the Golden State Warriors, his agents may have been doing their due diligence.
This is based on a claim by Butch Stearns of WEEI and his insinuation that the Boston Celtics are now privy to information on Kevin Durant's preferences of possible teammates.
"I have this on pretty good authority: The Celtics have sat with his agent and other representatives of Durant. The Celtics do know - I don't know who it is - but they do know who he would prefer to be brought here in a LeBron [James]-Chris Bosh-Dwyane Wade-like way. Because that's how it works in the NBA. You need to know who the guy or guys that that guy wants, which would be a factor," Stearns said.
"Now, I don't know if Durant's told them that. But the Celtics know. They know. They've been told what group of guys he would want to come here," Stearns said.
On the question of why would Durant even consider coming to Boston, Stearns believes it's because of the relative ease of the Eastern Conference compared to the cutthroat situation in the West.
Take the Oklahoma City Thunder who played six games against the 67-win San Antonio Spurs before taking on the 73-9 Warriors for a full seven game tour. If the Cleveland Cavaliers, who has only lost 2 games in the entire playoffs eventually win the title against the battle-weary Warriors, the argument if justified.
Now, the big question looms: Who are those players that Durant allegedly wants to join?
Celtics Life offered some predictions based on Stearns' claim when they suggested trading the no.3 pick, Amir Johnson and Marcus Smart for the Chicago Bulls' Jimmy Butler and the no.14 pick. Also, they said the Celts should sign Al Horford.
If that combination would lead to signing Durant, the Celts will parade Horford, Butler and Durant as the new Big Three in the East and they will only have one rival, LeBron James and the Cavs.
