“He’s a vocal leader, he’s the emotional leader” - Analyst believes the Boston Celtics should not acquire Kevin Durant at the expense of the “heart and soul” of the team

The Boston Celtics are the most recent team to enter the sweepstakes for Kevin Durant. The disgruntled Brooklyn Nets superstar still wants out of Brooklyn with the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns as his preferred destinations.

On ESPN's "First Take," former NFL player Harry Douglas said Boston should try to acquire KD as long as they don't have to give up Marcus Smart. Douglas believes that Smart is pivotal to the locker room and that the Celtics cannot afford to lose him.

"Yes, but not if Marcus Smart is included in the deal," Douglas said. "Now, if it's Jaylen Brown, you look at a guy like Derrick White, Grant Williams and some draft picks, I'm doing that deal.

"The reason why I said I wouldn't include Marcus Smart is, because you look at a guy like him, he's the heart and soul of that team, he's the vocal leader, he's the emotional leader, he's the Defensive Player of the Year.

"Jayson Tatum is not that guy. We know, if Kevin Durant comes, he's not a vocal leader. So, that's why I say you got to keep a guy like Marcus Smart."

The latest reports suggest that the Nets want the Celtics to include Smart along with Jaylen Brown in any type of package for Durant. While Boston has rebuffed this notion, it may not be completely dead.

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Should the Boston Celtics do this deal?

Boston's key personnel at the 2022 NBA Finals, Game 6

The Boston Celtics reached the NBA Finals this year thanks to the performances of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and others. Their defense was key in navigating the Eastern Conference. They swept the Kevin Durant-led Brooklyn Nets and also beat the Milwaukee Bucks, the reigning champions, and then the Miami Heat.

The Celtics and their suffocating defense is led by Smart. He can seamlessly guard multiple positions and even players bigger than him. He wreaks havoc with his aggressive style of play and quick hands.

Smart beat out Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and Mikal Bridges of the Phoenix Suns for the coveted defensive award. Being the first guard to win this trophy since Gary Payton in the 1990s is a testament to his greatness.

Offensively, he is important to Boston's ball movement. Smart averaged 12.1 points and 5.9 assists per game last season, while shooting 41.8%, including 33.1% from beyond the arc. These are not eye-catching numbers by any stretch, but they demonstrate his effectiveness on the offensive end.

As great as Durant is, losing the best defender and second-best defender to Jaylen Brown, who is also an elite scorer, is an idea Boston shouldn't entertain. That's especially true considering its road to the NBA Finals was predicated on their suffocating defense.