Durant joined the Golden State Warriors instead. Three years, two NBA championships and one dust-up later, Durant successfully recruited Kyrie Irving from the Celtics to the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 free agency. There ended Boston's dream of ever landing Durant in green. Or so we thought.

Kevin Durant got a front-row seat to that blowout. He was on the other side of the court and did the best he could to beat the Celtics, putting in 30 points. That wasn't close to being enough to win the game. After the big loss, Durant could do nothing but acknowledge that the Celtics were the superior team.

Regardless of whether the Celtics pursue Durant or stand pat, their financial future is a major talking point. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Celtics are on pace to carry the highest payroll in NBA history, potentially reaching $500 million (plus tax penalties) if they retain their current core for next season.