For the Nets and Celtics, there are three reasons why a Kevin Durant for Jaylen Brown trade makes sense.
As soon as Kevin Durant’s trade request was made in June, it became the most talked about subject in the NBA summer, but there has been no movement toward a deal. A mystery team has emerged with a serious bid for Durant just when his return to Brooklyn appeared to be a certain conclusion, according to sources from ESPN and The Athletic.
It was claimed by Shams Charania that the Boston Celtics made an offer to trade Kevin Durant in the form of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and a draft selection. Brooklyn allegedly declined the deal and requested that Boston include Marcus Smart and possibly additional draft compensation in their offer.
According to ESPN’s initial report on Boston’s interest in the superstar scorer, “no agreements are considered to have traction for Durant.” According to Adrian Wojnarowski, KD’s suitors include the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, and Toronto Raptors, as well. The NBA’s training camps open on September 26th, and Durant, according to reports, is still seeking a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
It was always going to be difficult for the Nets to get a deal done for Kevin Durant because of his age (he’ll be 34 years old when the season begins), his contract situation (he’ll be under contract for four more years), and an obscure league rule that restricts the type of veteran star they can get in return for him.
As of right now, there isn’t much progress between the Nets and Celtics on a deal based around the trade of Durant for Brown.
To aid in the negotiation of a deal, Jaylen Brown does not have a Designated Rookie Extension (DRE).
A little-known league rule about trading for players has complicated the process of obtaining Durant. Only one of each team’s designated rookies can be acquired via trade under the NBA’s Designated Rookie Rule, which allows teams to keep two players on five-year extensions after their rookie contracts expire.
Nets player Ben Simmons is subject to the rules outlined here. Simmons, the centerpiece of Brooklyn’s James Harden trade, signed a five-year rookie agreement in February and joined the Nets through trade. Simmons must be traded before the Nets can acquire any of these players in a trade for Kevin Durant because they are all currently on five-year rookie contracts.
A four-year, $115 million contract extension signed by Jaylen Brown with Boston in 2019 does not include a five-year extension option for the wide receiver. Getting a deal done with the Nets is much simpler because they can keep both Brown and Simmons on the roster.
In a Durant trade, Jaylen Brown might be the most valuable player on the table.
We know that Brooklyn is looking for a young All-Star type player and a significant amount of draft money in exchange for Durant. The Celtics, Heat, Suns, and Raptors appear to be among the top four teams interested in acquiring Kevin Durant. If this is the case, there may be no better player available in any prospective deal than Brown. There are a variety of ways each box could look.
Because of the Designated Rookie Rule, the Heat are unable to offer Adebayo. Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and rookie Nikola Jovic are likely to be part of their finest deal.
After signing Deandre Ayton to a long-term contract earlier this summer, the Phoenix Suns are unable to move him this offseason. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson would be the focal points of any agreement with Phoenix.
The Raptors remain the biggest unanswered question in these talks. What will the Raptors give up for Durant in exchange for the Rookie of the Year, Scottie Barnes? OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. might still be part of the Raptors’ package if that’s the case.
Barnes is more valuable than Brown because of his age (21 for Barnes, 26 for Brown) and contract situation, as well as his potential, if the Raptors offer him a deal. According to sources, Toronto has been reluctant or unwilling to include Barnes in a trade for KD. Brown is a better trade partner for Durant than either Toronto, Phoenix, or Miami can be without Barnes.
Now that this offer has been made public, the Celtics may be more eager to complete a trade for Kevin Durant.
Last year, the Celtics were two wins away from winning the NBA championship. The addition of Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston roster this offseason made the team even more impressive. The Celtics, along with the Warriors, Bucks, Clippers, and Nuggets, should be considered title contenders next season even if Kevin Durant isn’t traded.
Since acquiring Brown and Tatum in the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade in 2016, Boston has focused on developing their teams around them. Although this isn’t the first time Boston has traded one of their young talents, this is by far the most visible example of it yet. It’s natural to question if seeing that his team was willing to trade for Durant will cause any resentment on Brown’s part, even though it’s a fact of life for professional athletes.
If the Celtics don’t acquire Durant, can Brown return to Boston next season as if nothing happened? Probably. One can hardly blame Brown for being angry after reading this report. It’s possible that Boston may make a serious effort to land Durant now that this offer has been made publicly available. Whether or not the Celtics will include Smart in the deal for Durant, you can expect the team to offer every available draft selection along with Brown as training camp approaches.
The Celtics’ Kevin Durant trade offer may be the most feasible.
A cloud of uncertainty currently hangs over the Durant negotiations because of two key questions:
Is Toronto willing to give Scottie Barnes a chance?
The Raptors will have the greatest offer for Durant if they offer him Barnes. It is possible that the Celtics have the greatest offer for Durant even if they do not include Smart.
Since they came within two wins of winning the championship last year, why would the Celtics trade for Brown? Because they desire to win the championship, the Boston Celtics decided to trade Brown for Kevin Durant. There would be a shorter championship window if Durant were with the Celtics, but it would also be much wider.
Once again, the Durant derby is heating up. Nothing should shock you at this stage.