Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics fans weren’t happy when footage emerged of Jayston Tatum working out with Kevin Durant – with some seeing it as disrespect towards Jaylen Brown.
In reality, it’s perfectly normal for NBA stars to work out together during the off-season, and given Tatum and Durant’s off-court friendship it’s understandable why the two chose to put some work in. However, the timing of the footage is what the real problem is, as the Celtics continue to be linked with a trade for the superstar forward.
According to Jalen Rose on an August 16 episode of Jalen & Jacoby, the fact Tatum was working out with Durant is nothing to be upset about, although it does speak to the growth Tatum needs to display as a leader.
“It’s great to see two of the best players in the game working out together, and Tatum’s ascension this season was outstanding. But the one thing you have to be conscious of is the other 14 guys on the team. You have to think about what is Jaylen Brown going to say if he sees me working out with KD, knowing that the trade scenario is on the table.
A lot of times, it’s better to just step back, and allow the multimedia scenario to play its course. Of course, you go to the Point God’s documentary, and you might not expect the media to ask you about it (the trade rumors), but they do ask you about it. Now is the time to keep the noise down – say less,” Rose said when asked to give his thoughts on Tatum and Durant working out together.
Of course, there’s no telling if Tatums decision to work out with Durant has caused a rift between him and Jaylen Brown – although it’s highly unlikely, considering both of Boston’s stars regularly work out with players from around the league.
Boston Have Set Durant’s Market Value
If you believe the reports that Boston’s opening offer for Durant was a package centered around Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and future draft picks, then you should have no problem believing that by including Brown in the trade discussions, the Celtics inadvertently set Durant’s market value.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick recently postulated the same thing, sharing how one of his sources believed that unless other interested teams can offer a player of Brown’s caliber, they shouldn’t even enter into discussions.
“Among the executives with whom I spoke, a Boston deal with Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece appears to be the unofficial front-runner here. In general terms, sources say the Nets are using the fact that the Celtics (and perhaps other teams) have made their second-best player available as a baseline of sorts in negotiations.
Translation: If you’re still trying to discuss a Durant deal without putting your second-best talent on the table, then just stop wasting everyone’s time and bow out of this race,” Amick wrote in his August 16 article.
From @sam_amick:
Celtics package centered on Jaylen Brown viewed as the frontrunner. Nets using that offer to leverage offers from other teams.
Unfortunately, unless Brad Stevens issues a statement to the media, unequivocally removing the Celtics from their pursuit of Durant, Brown will continue to be floated in trade proposals and rumors – and in all honesty, that’s a compliment to the level of player Brown has become.
Durant Would Make Boston Championship Favorites
Assuming the Celtics did acquire Durant via trade, and assuming their roster wasn’t decimated by the deal, it’s plausible that Boston would immediately be considered the strongest team in the league.
After all, a duo of Durant and Tatum is a defense’s nightmare – both are reliable playmakers, shot creators, and big-time play finishers, while also being legitimate defensive pieces on the perimeter.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, NBA Analyst Andy Bailey wrote about how Durant’s presence on Boston’s roster could catapult them towards a ring, and while losing Brown in the deal will undoubtedly leave a sour taste in the mouth, Bailey isn’t wrong.
One of the greatest basketball players of all time getting shots up with Kevin Durant
“Earlier this summer, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Boston had offered a package that included Jaylen Brown for KD. Those talks haven’t led to a trade yet, but Charania dropped another nugget in his report on Durant issuing an ultimatum to Brooklyn’s front office this week…Whether such a trade makes long-term sense for the Celtics is a topic for another day, but adding him to Tatum now would only solidify Boston’s position as a title front-runner,” Bailey wrote.
However, as things stand there has been little movement between Boston and the Brooklyn Nets, meaning this could be a saga that drags on into the new season, at which point, the chances of Boston making a deal drastically reduce.