The latest buzz on NBA Free Agency still involves the pursuit of Kevin Durant and one of the dark horse teams.
The Boston Celtics will aggressively pursue Kevin Durant this summer and many believe that they actually have the chance.
While they are not considered as contenders now, they have one of the brightest futures in the NBA according to ESPN Insider and their panel of experts as they projected the future of all 30 teams in the NBA.
The rankings were based on their current roster, team management, money/cap situation, future draft picks and their market. The Boston Celtics ranked a high third trailing only the two finalists, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
How much of that will matter to Kevin Durant, we will never know. What the Celtics do know is something that matters more to KD-the players whom he would want to play with. According to a claim by Butch Stearns of WEEI, the Celtics already know the players whom Kevin Durant wants to play with.
"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."
On the assumption that the Celtics do know who to target first in order to lure Kevin Durant, do they have the resources to pull it off?
Armed with cap space and draft picks galore, the Celts have, in theory, the ability to assemble something close to a "Godfather" offer to teams who hold these players.
Taking a shot at whom those players are (pure guesswork)-one of them could be Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls. If the Celtics were all in to take a shot at KD, they could send the no.3 pick, a combination of Marcus Smart/Jae Crowder or Amir Johnson. Butler comes to Bean town along with the 14th pick.
The other player that Durant apparently likes to play with is Al Horford, who is a free agent. The Celtics should try to sign him. If the Celtics succeed, they will be a much better team with Butler and Horford, with or without Durant.
Then again, this is mere speculation. The identity of those players is still unknown.