Why Kevin Durant Didn't Pick The Celtics And What It Means For Franchise

The shoe fit, but the Boston Celtics didn’t get to take Cinderella to the ball.

Kevin Durant, the prize of this season’s NBA free-agent class, chose the Golden State Warriors over Boston on Monday. It would have changed the fortune of the franchise had he come to Beantown, but the C’s will survive well enough without him.

Al Horford just proved that major free agents can — and should — want to play for the Celtics when he agreed to a four-year contract with the team Saturday. That changed the team’s fortunes plenty in its own right.

Durant didn’t pick the Celtics this time, but by all accounts they were very close. That they got so far in recruiting him sends quite a message to the rest of the league.

The former Oklahoma City Thunder star likely didn’t pick the Celtics for one reason: They didn’t give him the best chance to win a championship. Reports repeatedly echoed that was the sole factor the former MVP would use to make his decision, and the Celtics’ roster, though scrappy and highly competitive, isn’t nearly as talented or promising as Golden State’s.

Days before free agency began, USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick said on a NESN.com podcast that the Celtics likely hadn’t done themselves any favors in Durant’s eyes by not adding to their roster in the wake of a Thunder trade that brought Victor Oladipo and other pieces to OKC. The Celtics instead had stood pat at the NBA draft, selecting six rookies instead of pulling off a deal for Chicago Bulls All-Star Jimmy Butler.

As it stood, the Celtics, despite a terrific pitch from a recruiting party that included Tom Brady, likely weren’t a realistic contender for Durant’s services until Horford made his decision.

And while adding the four-time All-Star was huge for the Celtics, it wasn’t nearly enough to tip the competitive scales in Boston’s favor.

But just because Durant said no now doesn’t mean he can’t say yes later. That’s right, there’s still a sliver of a chance the former MVP comes to Boston.

Durant’s reported contract with the Golden State Warriors is one of those one-plus-one deals you’ve been hearing so much about lately. That means he has the ability to opt out of his deal next summer and re-enter free agency.

Will he leave Golden State after just one season? Probably not. He can, though, and that’s important.

If things go poorly in Oakland next season and Boston gives the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors a serious run for their money in the playoffs, don’t be shocked if Durant reconsiders coming to Causeway Street.

It’s a pipedream, but if he does, you can be sure the Celtics will be ready to do this all over again.