“They’re set up to be in that tier for 5 years, I wouldn’t be sacrificing that” - NBA analyst questions if Kevin Durant makes the Boston Celtics better
The Boston Celtics have reportedly shown interest in Kevin Durant. While most analysts believe Durant will tremendously increase the Celtics' chances of winning, ESPN's Tim Bontemps thinks otherwise.
The Celtics will have to move Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart to get Durant, based on the Brooklyn Nets' demands. Although that trade has its upsides, they do not outweigh the downsides.
The Nets and Celtics entered trade discussions for Kevin Durant, per @ShamsCharania
Boston reportedly offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick for Durant, but the Nets also wanted Marcus Smart, more draft picks and potentially one more rotation player https://t.co/qTvOQezcx3
The Celtics have had success with their current team. The bulk of the credit goes to Jayson Tatum. However, Brown and Smart made significant contributions.
On "The Hoop Collective," the panel of Brian Windhorst, Tim MacMahon and Bontemps discussed the potential trade. Bontemps believes the Celtics will fare better in the long run without Durant. He said:
"I'm also on the record of saying I wouldn't do this trade if I was the Celtics, which I understand is maybe a minority position. But, I look at this Celtics team, and as MacMahon said, the most valuable thing you can find in the league right now are young two-way wing players, and the Celtics have built this team around two of them."
Bontemps first gave kudos to general manager Brad Stevens for doing what is best for the team, which is building around Tatum and Brown. Then, Bontemps stated that Boston does not need to add Durant to fight for a title.
"This team has been built around those two guys, and they have a chance, to me, to be a championship-level team for the next five to seven years, assuming that Jaylen resigns."
He continued by discussing Durant's injury concerns:
"And I'm not giving that up even to take on Kevin Durant at this point, as great as Durant is, given the injury concerns you have, given the age concerns you have, and given the fact that the Celtics are already to me one of the three or four best teams in the league."
Bontemps then claimed that teams that at the top of the league shouldn't be pursuing Durant:
"For me, ultimately, I wouldn't be doing it because if you look at the past, the teams that have made this kind of trade, to get a guy like Kevin Durant, you're a team that's not in the very top tier, that's trying to get in the top tier."
He finished by discussing the risks the Celtics would be taking by making such a trade:
"So, it's worth taking the risk, because obviously there's some risk there, to dramatically alter your team to get this guy. For me, the Celtics are already in that tier, and they're set up to be in that tier for five years, I wouldn't be sacrificing that."
Can Kevin Durant help the Boston Celtics win championship No. 18?
KD is an elite talent and will undoubtedly make any team better. The Celtics have been starved of success in recent years and would love to get back to the top of the league.
Although the Celtics are not guaranteed an NBA title with KD, they will be one of the favorites. They got to the 2022 Eastern Conference finals after scraping through several Game 7's. Their journey could have been easier if Durant had been on the team.
The Golden State Warriors were in a similar position after their loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. Durant's addition made the difference, making their 2017 team one of the greatest in league history.
In a battle between two of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled, who you got coming out on top? 🤔
1998 Bulls vs. 2017 Warriors https://t.co/sYx7LOHQoi