Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets smiles during the first half against the Washington Wizards
The Brooklyn Nets are canvassing the league for potential Kevin Durant trades after the superstar requested a trade.
This request came over a month ago, and there still doesn’t seem to be much traction on a deal as the summer treks on. The Boston Celtics offered Jaylen Brown in a deal, and that looks like the best deal the Nets have gotten so far and even that wasn’t enough to get the Nets to accept.
The Nets have a very high asking price for the superstar as he’s still signed for four additional years and is still a highly productive player. No matter what way you slice it, the Nets would be a worse team without Durant.
If Durant doesn’t pull back his trade request, things could get ugly and the Nets might have to accept an offer that isn’t to their liking just so they can get something in return.
Fox Sports reporter Ric Bucher spoke to several NBA general managers, and one of them suggested a retooled Celtics trade that would keep Brown and Marcus Smart in Boston and would instead send Jayson Tatum to Brooklyn.
Tatum for Durant?
Of the two “Jays,” it seems to be agreed upon that Tatum is the better long-term prospect, and that’s likely a reason why the Celtics didn’t offer him in the first place.
However, one GM would be concerned about the potential fit of Tatum and Durant, so he would suggest a different route.
“KD and Tatum are talented, but I don’t know how tough they are,” he said to Bucher. “I know he’s a lot younger than KD, but if you’re just trying to win one title, do you trade Tatum for Durant? I’d do that before I’d give them Jaylen and Smart. Brown is valued a little less than Tatum because he’s not the skill darling. He’s a high level athlete who has developed into a good player. But I have to think Brooklyn would prefer Tatum and you wouldn’t have to give up Smart.”
Smart is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, so it’s no surprise the Celtics value him and would be hesitant in giving him up in a deal, even if it is for Durant.
The Celtics are fresh off an NBA Finals run, so the roster as it’s currently built has shown it can compete for a championship, so giving up vital pieces in exchange for Durant might not be in the team’s best interest.
Do the Nets Have Other Options?
While the Celtics offer might have been the best offer the Nets have gotten so far, there are still other avenues Brooklyn can explore.
The Lakers remain an option for not only Kyrie Irving, but Durant. LA Times reporter Dan Woike cites NBA executives who believe the Lakers have the assets necessary to get Durant.
“In total, it’s probably enough, according to some rival executives, to push the Lakers across the finish line in a deal with the Pacers for Turner and Hield (though the asking price for Turner has generally been at least a pair of firsts),” Woike wrote. “And if the Nets decide to trade Kevin Durant, the package of Lakers picks and potential swaps should again be able to satisfy Brooklyn or a third team willing to take on Westbrook before, likely, buying him out and making him a free agent.”
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