Two weeks have gone by since Kevin Durant’s initial trade request from the Brooklyn Nets and as MassLive’s Brian Robb has put it, the time elapsed can be a potential positive for teams (like the Boston Celtics) outside of the KD trade picture.
Robb made an interesting point regarding the Celtics’ place in these trade talks, saying that ‘assuming the Nets ultimately do trade for Durant, the fact that they are prioritizing players as much as picks should weaken the odds of their trade partner having enough left on the roster to remain a true contender, especially in the Eastern Conference’. After a busy offseason of free-agent signings and a blockbuster trade, the Cs might actually be the exception, not the rule here.
Boston is in a far better position now than before free agency started. They’re also in a far better place to trade for Kevin Durant. Realistically, they have improved a potential offer for any desired star player they could eventually have their eyes on.
With sharpshooters like Sam Hauser and Matt Ryan and the hyper-athletic 2021 second-round pick Juhann Begarin looking like potential rotational pieces from the Summer League, shipping twice as many current rotation players out as they will receive back is something the front office can take a gamble on — knowing one of the game’s greatest offensive weapons will be wearing a Celtics uniform by the end of it.
HH has attempted to put together a package in the past to welcome Durant aboard, but today we attempt to bring Ben Simmons along with him.
Here’s our best Boston Celtics package to land Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons
So off the bat, the Houdini wants to point out that the designated rookie rule–which prevents teams from having more than two ‘designated rookies’ or players on rookie-scale contracts that add five additional years through an extension–does not prevent Boston from having two players on designated rookie-scale extensions. Ergo, Jayson Tatum and Ben Simmons could be teammates because the Cs drafted the former. Had they traded for Tatum, they’d be unable to trade for a second ‘designated rookie’.
That exact issue is causing issues in Durant trade negotiations. If it didn’t exist, the Miami Heat would be able to dangle Bam Adebayo in talks. Alas, they are not able to with Simmons already on their cap sheet.
Anyway, since it’s not an issue here, Boston is able to form a supersized starting lineup with Simmons at the point guard spot. If Ime Udoka really wanted to get funky, he could roll out a Simmons-Tatum-Durant-Al Horford-Robert Williams starting five.
Boston would lack depth, with their top two options at both guard spots being shipped off in this deal, but the hope post-trade would be that Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens could attract veteran free agents to sign on for cheap to win a ring.
This package would be better than anything else the Nets would receive in exchange for their star forward. It rids them of a potential albatross Simmons contract, brings back a star (Jaylen Brown) that has more time left in his prime than anyone being shipped out, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year (Marcus Smart), two elite second-unit two-way studs (Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon), and a young two-way big (Grant Williams) that spaces the floor and provides intangible hustle plays on both ends of the floor.