A few weeks ago, the notion that the Boston Celtics should go after Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant seemed laughable, but after the humiliation ritual they just got put through in the playoffs, suddenly that doesn't seem like a bad idea.
Brad Stevens made it sound like the Celtics would not take that loss lying down. In other words, changes are coming, so don't be surprised if both Antetokounmpo & Durant pop up in Boston rumors throughout the summer.
But it also leaves the Celtics with a question: who should they pick between the two? Antetokounmpo is the better one of the two, but Durant being cheaper would allow them to potentially pair him with the Jays. Without rehashing what's already been said, here are couple factors to keep in mind
Giannis has plenty of time left, but Durant doesn't
Antetokounmpo is still one of the NBA's best players, so acquiring him (and making sure he's locked up long term) would keep Boston relevant for the next several years. Durant isn't one of the NBA's best players, but is still good enough to make an All-NBA team.
However, Durant will be 38 next season, so acquiring him will make many wonder how much longer he can play at the level he is at now. Antetokounmpo is 32, so while he's not all-around invincible freight train he used to be, he's still around his peak and should be at that level for the next few years.
Both are awesome for what they can do, but it's pretty obvious who'd keep the Celtics in contention for longer.
Celtics have benefited from pairing Jays with a third scorer
Boston has paired the Jays with players who have proven themselves to be up to the task as the third-best scorers on the team. Kemba Walker, Kristaps Porzingis, and even Malcolm Brogdon have really given an extra pep in Boston's step in the scoring department.
Swapping Jaylen Brown for Antetokounmpo gives them an upgrade, but what has made the Celtics offense a bit more dynamic is when they have had someone else capable of scoring 20 on any given night next to Tatum and Brown.
Durant isn't the player he used to be, but it goes without saying that him as the third option would be the NBA's biggest cheat code since, well, when he joined Golden State.
Milwaukee's out of options, but Houston isn't
The Bucks and Rockets both underwhelmed this season, but that was expected of the former, not so much of the latter. Milwaukee is out of options, has a ton of dead money on its cap sheet, and really has no opportunity to improve.
Houston had some unreal bad luck. They can easily convince themselves that what stood in their way was Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams and run it back. Their roster is still flawed with Durant, but those injuries exacerbated them.
That's why a Giannis trade feels inevitable while a Durant trade feels merely possible this offseason.
Could both be on the table for Boston?
It seems ridiculous to think about the prospect of the Celtics bringing two first ball Hall of Famers to the team, but it is possible. Brown for Antetokounmpo works, while Derrick White and Sam Hauser combined should be enough to get Durant. Some picks would have to be thrown in, but Boston could do this without getting into the tax.
However, we have seen top-heavy teams really falter, like the Phoenix Suns teams led by Durant (the fact that the Suns got better with more depth is evidence of how fauly Big 3s are now). However, Boston still has the Ant Simons TPE and the non-taxpayers MLE.
Plus, Boston still has the wing depth to withstand those kinds of losses. It's a pipe dream for sure, but so was pairing Paul Pierce with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. As long as Boston doesn't compromise too much of their depth, there really is a chance we could see Durant and Antetokounmpo paired next to Jayson Tatum.
Such a pairing would make fans forget entirely what happened on Sunday...
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