In what’s starting to feel like an annual rite of summer, Kevin Durant trade rumors are swirling once again. With Durant sidelined due to a brutally timed ankle injury and his Rockets facing a 3-1 deficit against a Lakers team that hasn’t had Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves all series, the walls seem to be closing in a bit on Houston.Â
And sure enough, in the midst of their chaos, Michael Pina of the Ringer is reporting that 24 different teams would have at least some level of interest in trading for KD this offseason.
Considering that list basically includes every team with a pulse, the Celtics were mentioned, and we know they have a long history of coveting Durant, dating all the way back to his time as a Texas Longhorn.
And why not? Durant is going to go down as one of the 25 greatest players in the history of the league, and even in his age-37 season, he played in 78 games and put up 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on spectacular 52/41.3/87.4 shooting splits.
KD has left a wake of destruction in his path
But here’s the thing: wherever KD goes, trouble follows. He won the back-to-back titles with the Warriors, of course, but since then, the stops have been one nightmare after another, leaving fans of his former teams just begging for a fresh start and a culture reset.
It happened with the Nets. It happened with the Suns. And now it’s happening with the Rockets. This team was one of the most exciting, up-and-coming squads in the league last season, and now, all the good vibes are gone, the coach is on the hot seat, Durant is involved in a burner scandal where he was making fun of his teammates, and they’re about to crash out of the playoffs in round one after being massive favorites.
Frankly, the fact that a player of his magnitude is rumored to be on the move to a sixth new team in 10 years should tell you all you need to know. Furthermore, Durant has won one single playoff series since 2021 and hasn’t even reached the conference finals since his final year in Golden State.
Celtics' culture is bigger than Kevin Durant
I love Durant the player, but it’s getting impossible to argue that he’s not a culture-killer. And the Celtics might have the best culture in the NBA. Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla have helped create an airtight infrastructure that has every single member of the organization on the same page, with one goal: raising banners.
On the court, KD could certainly help with that goal. Hell, there’s even a path to acquiring him without sacrificing any of the Celtics’ top six players. But still, do they really want to mess with everything they’ve built around the Jays for a year or two of Durant as he’s getting close to 40?
It has to be considered, given his talent and likely availability. And perhaps if the rest of these playoffs play out the wrong way for Boston, this could become a different conversation. But as things stand, the Celtics would be wise to focus on the here and now, keep their positive momentum going, and keep building through youth, player development, and pristine culture around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
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