BOSTON — The Kevin Durant rumor mill is heating again up, with the Boston Celtics now within the thick of all of the mayhem.
It has been a couple of month since Durant requested a commerce from the Brooklyn Nets, and there’s no actual finish in sight. However early Monday morning, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Boston has emerged as one of many groups engaged in commerce talks with Brooklyn, although no deal was thought-about imminent.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania took issues a little bit additional later Monday morning, detailing the commerce package deal that Brad Stevens just lately provided as much as the Nets. The package deal is centered round Jaylen Brown, and consists of guard Derrick White and a draft decide.
The Nets rejected that supply and requested the Celtics to included Defensive Participant of the Yr Marcus Good in any future proposal, together with Brown, draft picks and doubtlessly one other rotational participant, in keeping with Charania. The Celtics are “much less inclined” to incorporate Good, in keeping with Charania, however the Boston brass is “mulling over the subsequent steps on how one can strategy discussions.”
The massive takeaway, although, is that the Celtics are within the Durant sweepstakes and “have emerged as a critical risk as a touchdown spot for Durant,” in keeping with Charania.
The attraction is apparent for the Celtics: That is Kevin Durant. He could also be 33 with a number of mileage on his physique however he is among the best gamers on the planet, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a 12-time All-Star. He is additionally signed for 4 extra years, and would pair properly alongside Jayson Tatum because the Celtics attempt to recover from the championship hump.
It would not come with out threat. Durant has performed simply 90 video games the final three seasons due to accidents, and the Celtics simply swept Brooklyn within the first spherical of the NBA playoffs. And giving up an unimaginable two-way expertise like Brown, who is barely 25, would clearly be robust to take for many Celtics followers.
Brown was Boston’s greatest participant for giant stretches in the course of the NBA Finals, and he appears to get higher every 12 months. However he’s solely signed for 2 extra years, and if Stevens and the Celtics do not feel assured that Brown would signal a long-term extension in Boston (there are rumblings that he needs to be the highest man of a crew), buying and selling Brown for Durant would make sense.
The Miami Warmth and Toronto Raptors are additionally within the combine for Durant, so Monday’s barrage of Boston involvement may simply be the Nets brass placing some information on the market so different groups have a little bit incentive to up their presents. Charania would not imagine any deal is imminent, however the Nets would probably need this example resolved earlier than coaching camp will get underway on the finish of September.
So sit tight, Celtics followers. The offseason is much from over.
