Power ranking the Kevin Durant NBA 2016 free agency suitors

The Boston Celtics may have all the stockpiled assets in the world, but none of those are going to help general manager Danny Ainge land a transcendent superstar like Durant.

Sure, Ainge could put together a deal to land a third All-Star caliber player to play third wheel behind Durant and point guard Isaiah Thomas, but he’s coming off a 2016 NBA Draft where his Celtics were widely considered to have had the worst draft of anybody. The Orlando Magic didn’t have any picks, but they at least got Durant’s former teammate in power forward Serge Ibaka in a draft day deal.

As with the Knicks, joining Boston is not without its upside. The Celtics are the most storied franchise in the NBA, have an unbelievable home court advantage, and a great young head coach in Brad Stevens. Boston is in the Eastern Conference and the Celtics are capable of winning 45 to 50 games without getting a Durant to play at the three.

Durant joining the Celtics might make Boston a contender for the second best team in the East behind only the Cavaliers, but the Indiana Pacers might still be a better team than a Durant led Celtics team after all the moves the Pacers made in the last week.

Durant can still win a championship in his prime in joining the Celtics, but he won’t be able to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June 2017. At best, Boston would be at least a year away from winning it all with Durant as its superstar in 2017-18. If he doesn’t want to wait a year with the Thunder, why would he join a Celtics organization easily a year away?

Next: 5. San Antonio Spurs.