Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

By luring Horford away from the Atlanta Hawks team that he’d played for since 2007, the Celtics have put themselves in about as good a position as possible to steal Durant away from the only pro franchise he has ever known. They’re still considered dark-horses, as almost everyone you talk to inside league circles still expects Durant to return to the Oklahoma City Thunder for at least one more season. But the Celtics, make no mistake, made all the right kind of noise in their biggest free agency moment.

USA Today: Will the Celtics’ big splash be enough to lure Kevin Durant to Boston?

The “free agents don’t go to Boston” discussion (a discussion I’ve long argued was WAAAAYYY overblown) is dead. Today, we’re talking about how many free agents might come to Boston. It’s a discussion we had on a new Locked On Celtics with the Rainin’ J’s podcast, recorded immediately after the Celtics landed Horford…

Horford to Boston is a big deal in and of itself, but the impact could be much bigger if it lands an even bigger star like Durant.

I’ve had people question why I think Danny Ainge is a top-flight GM, but we’re starting to see his plan bear fruit. He flipped two aging future Hall of Famers and a disconnected former All Star into a bevy of picks and, ultimately, two key starters on a nearly 50-win team. He has tradeable assets, money to spend, and a coach with a sterling reputation. The team is on the upswing, and the league is taking notice.

Yeah, draft night was a dud. But Ainge said afterwards that he wasn’t going to jeopardize July for the sake of doing something in June. And now July is here and so is Al Horford. The core of last year’s playoff team is untouched, meaning they can run it back with at least one huge upgrade, or they can use some of those guys as a trade bait to put yet another “Big 3” together. The options still exist.

And Kevin Durant knows these options still exist. He sees what’s happening. He wanted Horford to go to OKC with him, but now Horford is in Boston. OKC is retooling their roster, and there’s the looming possibility that Russell Westbrook will leave next summer. Durant can go to Oklahoma City and keep the window open a little while longer, or he can go open another window in Boston and prepare for the Conference Finals and a chance to win it all.

Boston is still a long shot to land Durant, but the odds got a little better last night. Tom Brady talked to him on a level that only a megastar can. Brad Stevens undoubtedly laid out the X’s and O’s of how Durant’s talents would be maximized. Danny Ainge delivered Al Horford and has the resources to do much more over the next couple of years.

If there was ever a long shot to bet on, this is the one.

All your Horford/Durant links:

Globe: Celtics strike in free agency, agree to deal with Al Horford  |  Meet Al Horford, the newest Celtic  |  It’s a landmark day for Celtics and Boston

Herald: Horford flies away from Atlanta to sign with Celtics  |  Horford’s arrival a good sign on many levels  |  Horford tops list of Celtics’ free agent signings  |  Brady plays role of super-recruiter  |  Brady joins Celtics party in pursuit of Durant

CSNNE: Income tax: Which states are better for Durant’s contract  |  Are Brady and Horford enough to get Durant to Celtics?  |  Signing a player like Durant was long overdue  |  Durant’s decision expected by Monday afternoon  |  Players share in the excitement of Durant, Horford recruiting

ESPN Boston: KD’s pick coming late Sunday, early Monday  |  Finally, Boston is a free agent destination  |  Celtics better than Cavs with Horford? What if they get Durant?  |  Horford picks Boston

WEEI: Report: Durant eliminates Clippers from consideration  |  Brady does his job in Durant meeting

MassLive: Horford agrees to maximum contract with Boston

Page 2: HOLY CRAP A LOT OF MONEY IS BEING THROWN AROUND (And not everyone is happy about it)

NBA free agency began on July 1. Because the NBA’s salary cap shot up from $70 million during the 2015-16 season to $94.1 million during the upcoming 2016-17 season, all the free agents are getting so paid. The first two days of free agency alone saw over $2.4 billion in contracts handed out.
The explosive money being thrown around caught the attention of a lot of people around the NFL. A lot of those people began wondering why NBA players that are good, but not necessarily great, are getting paid at a level that not even quarterbacks reach.

CBS Sports: Ex-NFLPA president explains why so many NBA players are getting NFL QB money

I’m really getting a kick out of all these football players getting pissed that NBA guys are getting PAID.

TWO POINT FOUR BILLION!!

That’s 2,400 million dollars. That’s a lot of dollars. And it’s almost all guaranteed, unlike the NFL, where you risk turning your brain into pudding for the right to get cut the second you lose a tenth of a second off your 40 time.

But if you follow that link, Kevin Mawae explains the math behind it all perfectly. A 15-man roster gets to split $94 million while an 85 man NFL roster splits $156 million.

Yeah, the NFL cap is almost twice the NBA’s.

That’s not the point, though. Athletes in other sports and people everywhere can bitch about guys like Evan Turner getting $17+ million a year, but the economics are what they are. The owners and the players are essentially splitting the money down the middle. And since Woj isn’t tweeting that Wyc Grousbeck and the C’s ownership group just got $94 million this year, the venom falls on the players.

Are they, in the grand scheme of things, worth more than teachers? No. But until Mrs. Smith’s 4th grade math class packs 18,000n people into the Garden 41 times a year, she’s gonna get paid what she’s getting paid, and guys like Durant will end up making $30 million a year.

It’s a lot of money, but that’s what the league is worth right now.

Related links: Globe: NBA sets salary cap at $94 million  |  Herald: Isaiah Thomas accepts fact that his deal is dwarfed by new NBA standard