Costs Be Damned, The Celtics Want Kevin Durant
The Celtics and Kevin Durant have been intertwined for a decade. Now, with a title on the line, Boston doesn’t want to lose him again.
Kevin Durant has never played for the Boston Celtics. But he’s certainly come close. Even after a surprise run to the Finals, the Celtics are still trying to lure him to town. Yeah, that’s right. Those Boston Celtics want Kevin Durant;
“…the Boston Celtics recently offered a package around All-Star Jaylen Brown for Durant and have emerged as a real threat to acquire Durant.” – Shams
Despite having a deep roster fit for another title run, the Celtics are not pulling any punches. But, at what cost are the Celtics willing to go for Durant?
The Smoking Gun
First, let’s talk about this report from Shams. Brian Windhorst has since suggested that these rumored trade talks happened weeks ago – which could very well be true. But still, here’s what Boston’s initial offer for KD was;
Celtics Receive: Kevin Durant
Nets Receive: Jaylen Brown ~ Derrick White ~ 1 Draft Pick
The Nets rejected that and counteroffered with something much more aggressive. In return for Durant, they also wanted reigning defensive player of the year Marcus Smart, more picks, and potentially another rotational piece.
Boston is “less inclined” to include Smart in any deal, according to Shams, and that makes sense. Smart has been their heartbeat for nearly a decade. After reading that, I thought that would be the end of these talks. Except, right after saying that the Celtics weren’t going to move Smart, Shams said this;
“…but the franchise is mulling over [the] next steps on how to approach discussions.”
So…the Celtics are thinking about giving up all that for Kevin Durant? In that trade, they would be giving up 3-4 valuable assets on a contending team plus draft picks. That would effectively change their entire team roster and makeup – potentially ruining the team they had so carefully constructed in recent years.
On top of that, they’re burning bridges with Jaylen Brown. Brown has been rightfully frustrated with his position. How would you like it if, after your most successful season with your franchise, they were looking to trade you?
So, why do the Celtics want Durant so bad? The obvious answer is because he’s one of the best three players on the planet, and in their minds, he would push them over the top. Or it’s because the Boston Celtics don’t want to lose Kevin Durant…again.
The Celtics Love Kevin Durant, a Breakdown
The Celtics tried to get Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft. After a 24-win season, Boston was in line for him. However, the ping pong balls of the lottery didn’t go their way as they fell to the fifth pick. Still, they won the title the very next season without Durant. So no hard feelings. But, in 2016, the Celtics rolled out the red carpet for Durant.
Boston met with Durant over the course of fourth of July weekend, bringing New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to the Hamptons, along with several players and front-office members, to try to persuade the superstar forward. It almost worked, too — Durant admitted he was “ready to just say, ‘OK. Let’s go’” after meeting with TB12.
Then, just a few days later, Durant went to the Warriors. Somewhere out there, there’s an alternate universe where Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were teammates…on the Celtics. How crazy would that have been?
Anyway, the Celtics have been gunning for Durant for some time. That has to be part of the reason they’re doing this maneuver. Kevin Durant is the girl who got away. Now, at the ripe age of 33, the Celtics are still gunning for him. True love is really a beautiful thing.
Brad Stevens Is Hyper-Aggressive…To A Fault??
Kevin Durant is better than Jaylen Brown. Whoa. I said what everybody has been thinking for the past few days. Yes, Durant is by far the better player. It doesn’t matter that he’s older, more injury-prone, and much more of a diva. When it comes to winning, I would rather have KD than Jaylen Brown.
But everybody and their mother already knew that. Here’s what we don’t know;
How far are the Celtics willing to go?
Jaylen Brown is a rising star who is on one of the most affordable contracts in the NBA. Marcus Smart is the perfect catalyst for this team. If the Celtics want to avoid dealing Smart, they’ll likely have to unload more draft picks, limiting their ability to make future adjustments to the roster.
The Celtics can offer unprotected first rounders in 2025, 27, and 29, plus two first-round pick swaps in 2024 and 2026. If we’re being honest, the Celtics will have to offer them all to get Durant. Again, how far are the Celtics willing to go?
Brad Stevens has traded numerous first-round picks in his short tenure as president of basketball operations to get Horford, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon. Is he willing to trade all of those picks – essentially handcuffing himself to Durant for the foreseeable future?
The fact that the Celtics are still “mulling over the [next] steps,” tells me that they’re considering doing just that. And that’s what scares me. Sure, Kevin Durant will give the Celtics more star power. But I don’t think it’s going to make them better – certainly not better in the long term.
Brad Stevens has shown himself to be a hyper-aggressive move maker who will do anything necessary to get a deal done. That happy trigger finger could lead to Boston crippling their future while trying to swing for the fences.
The Jayson Tatum Angle
Let’s say that Kevin Durant becomes a Boston Celtic. The NBA world explodes for a few days, we get some overreactions, etc. Now, I want you to imagine a team with Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum on it. Sounds pretty nice, right? Well, not so much.
Ever since his third season, Jayson Tatum has been the guy in Boston. He’s become an MVP-caliber player while leading the C’s to numerous deep playoff runs. Most recently, he just led them in scoring en route to the Finals. Not too shabby.
Jaylen Brown has been right by his side from the beginning of his career. So, in order to get Durant, the Celtics would be trading one of Tatum’s best teammates during his tenure as a Celtic. But wait, there’s more.
Would Tatum even be the face of the franchise if Durant came to town? He’d surely be more beloved by the fans, but would he be the #1 option on offense? Even better, would Durant concede his offensive foothold? He didn’t even do that in Golden State.
I don’t think people are talking about Jayson Tatum enough as these trade talks are ongoing. I know Tatum himself isn’t going to get moved (I think), but he sure has a lot on the stake here. Interesting to see if the Celtics keep that in mind at all going forward. Speaking of which, what’s going to happen next?
What’s Next?
A few weeks ago, I talked about why Kevin Durant wasn’t going to get traded any time soon. Even with these new rumors, I stand by that sentiment. The list of possibilities as to what’s going to happen next is endless.
I could see this standoff lasting for months. The Nets could wait for teams like Toronto or New Orleans to enter the fray, giving them more leverage. Or, best of all, Durant could decide to simply return to the Nets. That’s the scenario I see happening the most.
Since the Nets don’t have any draft-picks until 2028 (thanks, James!), they have no incentive to lose. They’re not going to settle for any deal for Durant. To them, bringing him back is still the best option. And that’s why I don’t see these Celtics rumors really going anywhere.
I could be painfully optimistic, but I don’t think Brad Stevens would give up that much for Kevin Durant. Not only do I think the Celtics would cripple their future in such a move, the implications on Jayson Tatum are pretty substantial.
I’ve still forgotten to mention that Donovan Mitchell is apparently on the trade block, too. Could be see a mega deal involving Brown, Boston, Durant, AND Mitchell? Maybe. Who knows? All I know is that there’s going to be a whole lotta waiting between now and what happens next.
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