It's been nearly a month since Kevin Durant submitted a trade request out of the Brooklyn Nets, yet his future continues to draw speculation. In a shocking turn of events, the Celtics were the latest team to be linked with KD.
Boston now seem to be frontrunners in the race for the 12-time NBA All-Star by proposing a package centered around Jaylen Brown, keeping Jayson Tatum out of the deal. Brown has been mentioned in trade rumors before.
When the team got off to a bad start last year, there were whispers about a possible divorce. However, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, this is the first time the franchise is seriously thinking about parting with Brown.
Rumor: Kevin Durant's availability makes Celtics consider trading Jaylen Brown for the first time
(Via Bleacher Report)
"This seems to be the first moment the Celtics have truly explored the possibility of moving Brown. All the way back in 2018, Boston never made Brown available in its efforts to land Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs, sources told B/R.
"When Anthony Davis was on the trade block in 2019, the Celtics only internally deliberated on including Brown in a package to New Orleans—the Pelicans' one significant offer for Davis came from Los Angeles, sources said. And when Boston inquired about Ben Simmons last fall, the Sixers held firm in their own demand for an All-Star-caliber centerpiece and additional assets, and their talks never grew substantive.
"When Boston stumbled to 23-24 in January, team personnel only began to consider the possible returns from parting with Brown this offseason, sources said, to better optimize the Celtics' contending window starring Jayson Tatum. The Celtics did not seriously entertain any inquiries for Brown ahead of the February trade deadline, sources said."
The Celtics have already proven to have what it takes to have a deep run in the playoffs, yet landing Durant would take them to new heights. Therefore, it would make sense to ship Brown if that's what it takes to get KD.
