Why are the Celtics never mentioned as a realistic destination for KD nationally

[Celtic]

Every podcast I listen to, every tweet I read, every website I visit, the Celtics are always noted as having a scheduled meeting with Durant but are never regarded as having any chance to sign him. I understand that the Warriors are the Warriors, he can make more money in OKC, etc. However, Boston should seemingly have more to offer than anyone else.

OKC - can offer him the most, but they'll be running back the same team that lost in the WCF. The Western Conference will thus remain overcrowded.

Golden State - Best roster in the league, but will have to gut it's bench to sign him, plus it means swallowing your pride and going to the guy that just beat you up, but it does remove your former team OKC from contention.

San Antonio - Great coach, great teammates, though aging rapidly. There would also be great roster imbalance with he and Kawhi being duplicates. IMO the Spurs would be better off just getting Conley.

Clippers - Would have a formidable four to say the least, but they would clear their entire team to get him, require him to take less money and then have the potential for a roster shakeup when Paul and Griffin expire shortly, plus he stays in the West.

Miami - The supposed dark horse to land him, has the absolute least to offer. Bosh could be done for good, Whiteside has the scent of a post max contract drop off written all over him, Wade will be gone to sign him.

Boston - A 48 win team, that would likely add Horford (the guy he wants to play with) and Durant would easily crack sixty games, top three coach in the league, defensive prowess, role players for days, assets to cash in and overpay for Butler or whomever else, and even more cap space the following year to add another star, plus he gets out of the West.


I get it, the other teams are more popular and have marquis players, but I don't see why we're not considered a very viable destination. Every other team he is meeting with has at least one negative side effect, the only one we have is the lack of a legitimate scorer, which would be him.

I agree that OKC and Golden State are his more likely destinations, I just don't get why we're not even mentioned as the team that really makes the most sence.

[Ilikesports17]

Simple. no stars.

The intrigue with the other teams is obvious

OKC- home
SAS GSW - 67 and 73 wins
Miami and LA - well... Miami and LA.

[Celtic]

Right, those are the superficial quick answers, but with any semblance of real basketball analysis the Celtics make way more sense than pretty much any team in the league.

[alldaboston]

Here's the thing:

No one thought we would be this good so quickly, yet here we are.
Then No one thought we would get a meeting with him, yet here we are.
Now No one thinks we are a serious destination for him. Let's have the doubters be wrong again.

[GreenFaith1819]

Makes it all the more sweeter as this team continues to trend upwards.

[droopdog7]

Probably won't matter because ultimately, I think he goes back to OKC.  All just pomp and circumstance right now.

[timpiker]

I think we have the 2nd best chance behind OKC.

[SHAQATTACK]

Because he is going back to OKC

If he looses next year ......I think he is going to GS hands down

[MikeB12]

Face it...Celtics have and never did have any realistic chance of signing Durant.   Still cant believe any Cs fans really thought KD would come to Boston.   Not enough talent on the team to lure him there period.

MikeB

[Bobshot]

The networks are based in NY, and a lot of the employees --including the bosses--are NY fans. There is an inherent dislike of anything Boston--especially Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots. The Celtics' dominance in the NBA for many years rankled the New Yorkers, and also the West Coast Laker crowd. Including pundits like Amick and Aldridge in the west, Stern of ESPN in the east, who rarely acknowledge the Celtics exist. 

David Stern, the ex-commish, is a New Yorker--a Knicks fan, who never lifted a finger for the Celtics. He never gave them any draft or cap relief when Bias and Lewis died. Adam Silver is another New Yorker. Don't expect any favors.

The Celtics were hurt by Gaston's ownership, who wrecked the team. Picking incompetent ML Carr to run the team instead of Bird or McHale. Bird tried to buy the team when Gaston had it for sale, and Gaston wouldn't deal with him. Bird disliked him--to put it mildly.

NBA network by and large ignores the Celtics. The Starters, those four kids with their cheerleaders type show, also largely ignore the Celtics.

The new regime finally got another Championship in '08, but bad luck with injuries prevented a repetition in the following years. That gave the networks an excuse to forget them again.

Now they have an opportunity to get on the media map again. We'll see.

[EJPLAYA]

Because it is true. Let's take off the green shaded glasses and try to put yourself in Durant's situation. He has loyalty to OKC just like any other star who played their whole career somewhere and was shown the love he has been. OKC is closer to a championship than any other team out there other than the Warriors, Spurs, and Cavs. We aren't in the same breath as those other teams and so if for some crazy reason he decided to bolt and throw away all those dollars, he isn't going to do it for a team that is farther away from winning it all than his own team is. I could see him going to the Warriors if it was all about the championship. Arguably the Spurs as well. Most likely though he will feel the tug of loyalty and stay in OKC. He could convince them to add another player to put them in a better situation and get it all. Boston just doesn't have the same talent level yet even if we add Horford.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

Right, those are the superficial quick answers, but with any semblance of real basketball analysis the Celtics make way more sense than pretty much any team in the league.

Except for the fact that those teams have significantly better players...

And in some cases coaching situations that are as good or better.