Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant is expected to be the most coveted free agent this summer, as several teams are preparing to make a strong offer to the former NBA Most Valuable Player.
And according to Chris Forsberg of ESPN, the Boston Celtics could be lined up among the teams who will have a strong chance to land Durant when he becomes a free agent in the offseason.
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The Celtics will likely pursue Durant this summer, considering the fact that Boston president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has been a fan of the high-scoring forward since he was still in college. In fact, Ainge was fined $30,000 for sitting beside Durant's mother during a Big 12 game nine years ago.
While the Celtics are not among the top title contenders this season, Forsberg is convinced that Boston will be an intriguing destination for top 2016 free agents, including Durant.
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"Scoff if you want -- and most will -- the Celtics are in position to make an intriguing sales pitch to any star talent that becomes available," Forsberg said. "And that would include Durant, who might benefit from simply escaping a bloodthirsty Western Conference that's compounded his quest for a championship."
Boston has made worthy moves over the past several years and has developed a young core, which includes Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk.
The Celtics could convince Durant to sign with the promise of adding another big name via free agency or a blockbuster trade. They will have approximately $34 million guaranteed salary on their books for next season, which means they will have enough room to sign two max players if the salary cap increases to more than $90 million.
Boston should also hope the Brooklyn Nets will go deeper into the cellar of the standings because it would give them a high draft pick this year, which could be another selling point for the Celtics when they make pitch to Durant.
However, the Celtics, who are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference standings with their 39-28 record, will have to compete with other big-market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, who are also being linked to the Thunder superstar.
The Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards, Durant's hometown team, are also in the race to sign the 27-year-old superstar, who is averaging 28.0 points on top of 8.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season. Previous reports indicated that Durant could leave the Thunder if they do not make the NBA Finals this year.
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