Mannix: Celtics Need Another Piece If They Want To Attract Durant
BOSTON (CBS) -- Armed with cap space and assets they hope to potentially flip for proven players, the Celtics are thinking big this offseason.
If we learned anything from Boston's early exit from the playoffs, it's that the franchise needs a pair of proven stars to go alongside Isaiah Thomas if they want to make any noise in the Eastern Conference. Fans are dreaming over the possibility of Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City to don green and Chris Mannix of The Vertical has reported that the C's will get a meeting with the soon-to-be free agent.
But that meeting won't do much good if Danny Ainge doesn't have a No. 2 star signed, or at least lined up, when they deliver their sales pitch to Durant.
"I have been told they're on the list of teams he'll sit down with, but their ability to lure him will be about who else they can get," Mannix told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich on Tuesday. "You can't sit down and tell him, 'We have Isaiah Thomas and 97 picks.' He wants to hear 'We're ready to win now.' That's why you hear Golden State and San Antonio as the biggest threats to Oklahoma City in the West.
"They have to come to the table with a Jimmy Butler, Bradley Beal or an Al Horford. They can't come to the table with Brad Stevens, Danny Ainge and draft picks. You need that one other piece like they did in 2007 when they got Kevin Garnett."
Mannix said Atlanta's Al Horford would be the most appealing sidekick for Durant, and a player the Celtics should sign even if they can't get Durant.
"I would give [Horford] a max deal because the Celtics can only offer him a four-year max deal, and I'd be more than willing to pay him four years, $95-100 million, because that's what guys are getting these days," he said. "I think Horford can have at least three years at his current level, and having him would attract someone else. I would offer that Day 1 of free agency."
The Celtics have not had a great track record when it comes to luring free agents to town, so Mannix said it's important that Danny Ainge doesn't get into bidding wars over lesser players if he can't get that marquee name on the roster this offseason.
"You have to be very careful with [all that money]. If you can get Horford regardless of Durant, go get him. If you can acquire Jimmy Butler with the picks you've got, go get him. But don't spend extreme amounts of money on Kent Bazemore or other guys who will get a lot of money because teams have cap space and money to spend," he said. "As painful as it is, you want to keep building the way you've been building, because there will be opportunities at some point to make trades. Maybe this summer, but if not this summer maybe next February or next summer. You just can't go out and splurge because you didn't get your man. That's a sure way to halt your process."