At face value, the idea that the Celtics, runners-up in the immediate past season of the National Basketball Association, would entertain the thought of breaking up their core group sounds absurd. Why would they risk disrupting chemistry 鈥 a critical but often elusive factor for even the most talented assemblies of stars 鈥 simply because of the possibility that the grass is greener on the other side? Have they forgotten about the saying 鈥減lus valet in minibus avis unica quam dupla silvis鈥? The annals of pro hoops are littered with examples of flameouts arising from those who ignore how much a bird in the hand is worth versus the two in the bush.
That said, the temptation of welcoming future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant into the fold seems too much to overcome. Not that the Celtics are wrong to entertain the thought; after all, the 12-time All-Star is a generational talent worth the assets 鈥 outside of reigning Eastern Conference Most Valuable Player awardee Jayson Tatum, of course 鈥 they will probably have to give up in exchange. He鈥檚 that good, period, and far be it for the green and white to immediately balk at the prospect of spreading the welcome mat for him. And it鈥檚 not as if he hasn鈥檛 already shown he can fit in with talents of proven contenders; two titles with the Warriors prove the malleability of his otherworldly skills.
To be sure, talks with the Nets are, at best, at the infancy stages, and not just because Durant鈥檚 current employers have seen fit to exact what they deem to be the right pound of flesh as payment. The asking price for him remains astronomical, although it鈥檚 one that the Celtics can actually cover should they so desire. What鈥檚 under consideration isn鈥檛 whether they鈥檙e capable of acceding to the demands; it鈥檚 whether they should. And they haven鈥檛 even assessed yet if his sensitive skin fits New England sensibilities; fans are intensely loyal, but they can likewise be savage in their criticism of the warts of supposed stalwarts.
Bottom line, the Celtics will not pull the trigger on any deal they feel compromises their view of the horizon. Durant鈥檚 an old 33, with major surgeries to his name, and they鈥檒l be giving up prominent figures of their youth movement for him. Head of hoops operations Brad Stevens has his work cut out for him. Should he go for it? Or should he keep building on what he already has? The answers figure to shape the Celtics鈥 future for some time to come.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since 大象传媒 introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
