Getty Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
The rumor mill has begun to dry up, as noise about the Boston Celtics potentially trading for Kevin Durant has all but gone silent.
A lot of that has to do with the fact the Celtics are unlikely to meet the Brooklyn Nets‘ lofty asking price for their aging superstar forward, and it would seem no other team is willing to meet those demands either. As such, there is no demand for Durant right now, leaving the Nets in a state of limbo.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, there is ‘a lot of pessimism’ regarding a potential Durant deal coming to fruition before the season gets underway.
▪️ There is “a lot of pessimism” on a Kevin Durant deal getting done in the near future
▪️ Kyrie Irving is “in a good place and comfortable” with the Nets right now
@IanBegley with the latest notes in Brooklyn: t.co/O7vOXAyoIq
“Couple of people familiar with the Nets dynamic and their search of the potential of trades for Kevin Durant said there was some pessimism about a deal getting done in the near future. Part of that pessimism was about the idea that finding a third or fourth team that would help facilitate a trade that the Nets would deem suitable was difficult, there was not a lot of interest around the league in the last month…Very fluid situation, but as we approach less than two months to camp, it’s worth note there’s pessimism about something getting done in the near future,” Begley said during an August 4 report.
Jaylen Brown Considered Brooklyn’s Best Option
There is undoubtedly a plethora of NBA teams that hold interest in potentially acquiring Kevin Durant via a trade, some of whom can offer a young star or a package of high upside talent. Yet, in reality, it’s highly unlikely another team can offer a ready-made contributor at Jaylen Brown’s level as a potential makeweight in a trade.
Best trade for Nets might be Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Horford and 3 1st rders. Thinks Nets would want Robert Williams instead of Horford tho. Don’t see Suns doing any deal that doesn’t include Booker in return.
“Regardless of who goes with him, Brown appears likely to be the biggest prize in Brooklyn’s sights. The 25-year-old is coming off a playoff run to the Finals in which he averaged 23.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 threes. He’s made an All-Star team and he just finished 2021-22 tied for 15th in defensive win shares (a number typically dominated by big men),” Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote in his August 3 column.
Brown proved himself as one of the league’s best two-way wings last season, as he excelled throughout the playoffs, helping Boston to come within two games of the NBA finals while widely being recognized as the Celtics’ best player during their series against the Golden State Warriors.
Williams Has Mixed Feelings on Potentially Being Traded
A core aspect of the Nets’ current expectations in a trade for Durant, is the fact they want an impactful role player as part of the returning package, meaning the Celtics would lose at least two key parts of their rotation should they choose to execute a trade.
Speaking to Sportscasting’s Mike Thomas on August 5, Grant Williams noted that he would have mixed feelings if he found himself as part of the Durant trade package.
“If I get involved in the KD trade — I don’t want to leave Boston, I love Boston, it’s one of the places I want to be — but he’s a top-10 player ever…You can say, ‘Dang, I got traded for Kevin Durant. I was a value add in that trade.’ It’d be cool to say that, but at the same time, I don’t want to go anywhere. I’d rather stay where I’m at,” Williams said.
Grant Williams on being a potential add-on in a Durant trade…”You can say, ‘Dang, I got traded for Kevin Durant. I was a value add in that trade.’…at the same time, I don’t want to go anywhere. I’d rather stay where I’m at,”
Per @Sportscasting19
With the rumors now almost non-existent, and with no other teams lining up to strike a deal with Brooklyn, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the Celtics will be the franchise to pull the trigger on acquiring Durant this summer.
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Celtics Pursuit of $196 Million Superstar ‘Surrounded in Pessimism’