The NBA offseason is at an intense juncture at this very moment. An enthralling NBA season, that climaxed in one of the most-watched NBA Finals in recent years between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors, is the primary impetus as to why.
The Cs fell just short of a title in a run through the Eastern Conference that showed there was plenty of parity at the top. Miami bludgeoned Boston enough in Game 6 to make Game 7 a legitimately scary viewing experience and the Milwaukee Bucks were arguably a Khris Middleton short of knocking the Celtics off and going to war with the Warriors themselves.
Now, improvement is all but necessary for the Cs to stay at the top of the east.
One of the most popular rumors so far around these parts has been about the possibility of adding Kevin Durant in a trade. It’s not hard to follow the trail of breadcrumbs in the rumor mill to figure out exactly why that is.
The Brooklyn Nets, who were swept unceremoniously from the playoffs’ first round by Boston as the No. 7 seven, appear to be on the verge of losing Kyrie Irving to free agency. If he doesn’t sign a taxpayer’s MLE deal with the Los Angeles Lakers–which Brian Windhorst reportedly didn’t rule out on ESPN’s Get Up–then it appears he could elect to opt in to the final year of his pact with Brooklyn and request a trade to the franchise of his choosing.
That Windhorst possibility is one that stuck with the Houdini, though, since Irving is such an enigma. Similar to the Lakers, the Celtics have the taxpayer’s MLE to dole out to a free agent of their choice. With Irving’s best friend Durant already linked to the Cs via a trade that likely is headlined by Jaylen Brown on Boston’s end of it–though the possibility of Robert Williams III also being included is a nonstarter according to NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg–could sticking with KD while also joining a team whose top star considers him a big brother-type figure a possibility at a serious discount?
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant both going to the Boston Celtics would be a Nets nightmare
Unequivocally, without question, watching Brooklyn’s star duo–that was signed three years ago with sky-high expectations and proceeded to produce exactly one postseason series win–leave for the team that just swept them would be an all-time Nets nightmare.
Luckily for Kings County’s home-team, that is almost certainly not going to happen given his past comments about the city of Boston:
📹 Kyrie Irving said he hopes he's not subject to racism coming back to play in Boston for the first time with fans in the stands at TD Garden #WBZ #Celtics pic.twitter.com/pdE3p8bQpx
— Joe Giza (@JoeGiza) May 26, 2021
It would be a convoluted statement to make for Irving to take such a drastic pay-cut for a franchise whose logo he stepped on during Game 4 of the 2021 Eastern Conference quarterfinals No. 2-No. 7 matchup.
Durant being traded to the Boston Celtics is on the table and Irving signing the TPMLE to play for a franchise like the Lakers is made possible by Irving’s willingness to sacrifice financial earnings to do what he wants to do. Both of them coming to Boston would have been plausible had Irving and the city not suffered through one of the worst breakups a player and place have ever had.
Unfortunately, right now, it’s not…and it likely never will be.