Boston Celtics: 5 possible star Team USA trios Jayson Tatum can help form

Boston Celtics’ potential Team USA star trio #4: Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant

Such a situation is extremely unlikely, but if Kevin Durant ends up so unhappy with the Brooklyn Nets that he wants to leave after just two active seasons with the team, the Cs could make themselves a very attractive option in 2022 free agency.

Durant could opt out of his deal next year, and anything short of an NBA Finals appearance increases the likelihood he does just that. If he does hit the market next summer, Boston would offer him a destination where he could settle into a tertiary role, especially if they are able to land Damian Lillard in a deal for Jaylen Brown this offseason.

Boston Celtics’ potential Team USA star trio #5: Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant

This is essentially the same option as above, but instead of landing Lillard in a Brown swap, the Cs land Bradley Beal. Of course, the best option is to land Beal in free agency next offseason, but landing him now allows Boston to potentially dump unwanted future salary to Washington to free up cap space for next summer.

Enter Durant. Of course, Brad Stevens could also try to open up enough cap space to outright sign two max free agents next year. That won’t be an easy challenge by any stretch, though. Either way, the Cs could boast the most unguardable trio in history should they land either Beal or Lillard and pair them with Tatum and Durant, who could match LeBron James’ lifetime Los Angeles Lakers pledge by ending his career with their historical rivals.