Boston makes Kevin Durant's short list

KD, please get excited about playing with Horford or Howard.

How do we match up with the Warriors and their 3 All-Stars? Just the fear of a gutted roster?

Just STOP IT please!!

Durant is not coming here and neither is any other top free agents. Tell me why they would?

last year we had money too and ended up with Amir.

better brace yourself for the press conference with Ainge smiling next to Turner and Sully with their new $12-15M deals!!

that is if they don't get better offers.

the two euro picks will be toiling in Europe and if Ainge is LUCKY he will be able to trade Jackson and Bentil to teams with spots at the end of their bench, so he can recoup some future second round pick for them.

"in Danny we trust"

LOL.

I will be surprised if he signs with us. Agree with your reason, also I think salary cap thing is great opportunity for owners to pocket $ as there is no rule to meet cap max. Wyc is going to spend $ on players like Amir J and teach the fan base how good they can be in Celtics system, and that they are keeping cap space if anyone becomes available. They will be a mediocre team for years to come unless they change the management; DA and/or BS. BS is at his worst developing rookies, we got too many draft assets and no one wants to trade with DA - they have management conflict. If the owners want to really win they should get rid of Danny family empire and hire someone like PRiley, aggressive recruiters.
Great thing in all of this is we still want Celtics to win, hoping for miracles

exactly..you never know...at lease he wants to talk to us and see whats up...you never know he might like stevens he might like ainge? he might like the celtics? we don't know what he is thinking?

and just think we went to the playoffs 2 seasons with a bunch of roll players...give us 1 or 2 solid players we might take off! don't need to be KD but it would be nice....

Bogut in all reports will not be signed. Iguodala will walk if Durrant is signed. Durrant reportably said he had some interest in Goldon State.   iF he picks GS they will find the money.      Regardlees he'll likely resign another year at OKC it's almost 100% he won't be in Boston next year so why even bring it up. Move on to something more realistic like us getting knocked out in the ist round again next year. That's our most likely outcome for next year. 

98.5 interviewed an OKC writer. While the writer thinks Durant will re-sign with OKC, he at least consideres the C's a darkhourse contender. The writer said Durant will probably sign a 1 year deal with an option, then opt out and cash in again in 2017. That's 2 shots.

Sometimes I wonder with whom are you having these conversations.
Sometimes I wonder with whom are you having these conversations?

Escape reality...That's pretty funny from the guy with the Timothy Leary avatar.

There are a ton of FA possibilities. DA will have to overspend max money and sell the place. Maybe Whiteside gets his payday.

The C's should have drawn a better pair than Atl and gone into the second round. A guy like Whiteside might get them the into conference championship round.

The Celtics might not necessarily be the sort of obvious title contender that teams like the Warriors, Spurs, and Thunder are at the moment, but adding Durant would definitely move Boston neck-and-neck with the champion Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

Boston's sales pitch to Durant could include:


• Up-and-coming team: With 39-year-old Brad Stevens and his new long-term deal at the controls, these Celtics won 48 games and competed for a top spot in the East last season. Isaiah Thomas elevated to All-Star status, and Boston thrived behind an affordable and intriguing young core that includes the likes of Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, and Marcus Smart. Players like Thomas remain adamant that Boston is just one player away from being a legitimate contender.

• Cap space: The Celtics have a nine-man core signed to less than $34 million in guaranteed salary for next season. Thanks to draft-and-stash possibilities, Boston is unlikely to dent too much salary despite making six picks in Thursday's draft, and that leaves Boston with enough cap space to pursue two max-contract free agents this summer. The biggest part of Boston's pitch would be: Pick a friend to join you here. If Durant wants to play with fellow free agent Al Horford, the Celtics can sign both (and still have enough cash left to fill out their roster with the sort of capable role players that every title contender needs). If Durant prefers a star already on another roster, the Celtics have the assets to try to pry that player free.

• Sustainability: Some of the surefire title contenders might be able to create enough room to add Durant this summer, but their ability to continue adding talent -- or simply keep their stars -- further down the road would be compromised by their salary bloat. The Celtics have positioned themselves for long-term flexibility. And that's further aided by Boston's ridiculous draft-pick treasure chest. The Celtics can pitch Durant that, not only would Boston be an immediate title contender with him, but that they might also have the No. 1 pick in each of the next two drafts (if the Brooklyn Nets are slow to rebuild). There will be a steady influx of talent -- or at least tradable assets -- to ensure Boston remains competitive throughout the length of Durant's next contract.

• The tradition: Durant already gushed about the Celtics' tradition when the Thunder played here in March. Bringing banner No. 18 to Boston would cement his legacy as a player and make him a legend in these parts. If the Celtics were smart, they'd get other area sports stars like Tom Brady and David Ortiz to relay what it's like to have this city in the palm of your hand. If nothing else, he's got all those free crab legs promised by Legal Sea Foods.

Is that enough to compete with the likes of the Spurs or Warriors? That depends on what makes Durant tick. But Thomas, who has raved about playing in Boston, is adamant that the Celtics have a real chance to land Durant.

"We definitely have a shot [at recruiting Durant]. I know that for sure," Thomas said earlier this week on Sirius XM NBA radio. "And I’m just trying to reach out when I can and stay in his ear a little bit here and there. I know it’s a tough time for him because everybody’s probably trying to reach out and get him to go where they want him to go. But my relationship with him is real genuine, and hopefully I can get him to come to Boston and we can bring banner 18 here."

Truth be told, just getting a meeting with Durant would be a win for the Celtics. That would be the surest sign yet that star players are taking notice of what's happening in Boston. And even if Durant ultimately elects to stay in Oklahoma City or pursue a different challenge elsewhere, then other star players might think, "If Kevin Durant is considering Boston, maybe I should, too."