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Reports began to break late Sunday night that the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics have become a major player in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
Boston has had a largely quiet but extremely successful offseason to this point. The Celtics made a trade for Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon that reportedly “pisses off” one Eastern Conference executive.
But any trade for Durant would shake the NBA to its core.
Sources: The Boston Celtics have offered a Jaylen Brown package to the Nets for Kevin Durant, which Brooklyn turned down and countered.
Full details on a potential Celtics-Nets mega-deal to be had, latest on Donovan Mitchell and more at the Inside Pass: https://t.co/Gkyfkhg5A1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 25, 2022
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Boston offered the Brooklyn Nets a package centered around Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick. That offer was quickly shot down.
Instead, the Nets are looking for a deal involving Brown, reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, multiple draft picks and “potentially one more rotation player.”
Charania says that Boston would prefer not to include Smart, but that discussions are still ongoing.
“As of right now, the Celtics have emerged as a serious possibility as a landing spot for Durant. They have tremendous interest in bringing him in and view him as a piece that could take them over that final hurdle. Although there is work to be done, there is a deal to be had that would suffice the Nets’ overwhelming ask.”
That would be quite the haul for Brooklyn. The Nets have thus far stood firm on their demands. And it appears any Durant deal would likely lead to an eventual deal involving Kyrie Irving as well.
Boston also appears to be all-in after making the NBA Finals in 2022. They’d surely be one of the favorites to win it all in 2023 if they were to acquire Durant.