Celtics offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick for Kevin Durant

After the Phoenix Suns matched Indiana’s $133 million maximum offer sheet to Deandre Ayton, the list of suitors for Durant became clearer. With Ayton currently unable to be traded, the Suns appear to be all but eliminated from the Durant sweepstakes. The Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat remain among the teams in pursuit — and the Boston Celtics recently offered a package around one-time All-Star Jaylen Brown for Durant and have emerged as a real threat to acquire Durant, league sources tell The Athletic.
Source: Shams Charania @ The Athletic

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops
Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a pick for KD?
Absolutely.
Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and a couple picks for KD?
Tough call. Probably doing it now if Brad Stevens now that he has Malcolm Brogdon. – 12:54 PM The Ringer @ringernba
Jaylen Brown looking at his phone this morn pic.twitter.com/9jqo0hcUgg – 12:08 PM Shandel Richardson @ShandelRich
A new player in the Durant sweepstakes #miamiheat si.com/nba/heat/miami… – 12:06 PM Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
POLL! Lakers fans! Do you want Kyrie badly enough that you’re cool with the Celtics getting Durant in the process? AK @LockedOnLakers @LockedOnNBAPods @LockedOnNetwork @ESPNLosAngeles – 11:53 AM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
New: Multiple accounts of the Celtics’ interest in a Kevin Durant trade surfaced this morning but a new report signals that there is nothing new about those discussions masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 11:50 AM Tas Melas @TasMelas
Talking Durant, Mitchell, Westbrook rumors, and taking questions about the rookie crop and Paul Coffey (!) live now.
https://t.co/TzuzSewtBZ pic.twitter.com/D5Iz83V2qr – 11:46 AM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
NEW: As the Kevin Durant situation continues to drag on, the Heat is in position to remain patient as the Celtics enter the picture miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 11:45 AM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Because it’s a newsy day around the NBA, we’re going to do a live @FrontOfficeShow in just a few minutes!
@Trevor_Lane and I will talk KD rumors, Spida rumors, Russ rumors and more, while also taking questions from those watching live!
Link to the show will come soon! – 11:26 AM John Karalis @John_Karalis
New on BSJ: Trying to make sense of the new Jaylen Brown-Kevin Durant rumors
bostonsportsjournal.com/2022/07/25/kar… – 11:23 AM Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42
From the Celtics offseason article:
When a player signs a non-max extension like Jaylen Brown did but plays like a max player, it makes an extension unlikely.
It’s similar to the Dejounte Murray situation in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/nkcGCoE0Gu – 11:22 AM Sopan Deb @SopanDeb
sean marks cooking up trade leaks to inflate the kevin durant market: pic.twitter.com/AOY2zn8NyX – 11:08 AM Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
Jaylen Brown has every right to be irritated by more trade chatter. He’s an All-Star, a two-way player who just helped (and at times pushed) a team to the Finals. And he’s getting better. But whether it’s Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis or now KD, he’s constantly in trade talks. – 11:04 AM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
3 PM ET today: An hour of live NBA chat via @SpotifyLive with @celticsblog’s own @Keith Smith guesting. Boston’s trade offer for Kevin Durant starring Jaylen Brown will presumably come up.
In the interim … here’s a Reader Mailbag with more trade talk: marcstein.substack.com/p/at-last-nba-… – 10:57 AM Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
The Celtics beat the Bucks because Milwaukee’s 2nd-best player was hurt and now all of the sudden they’re too good to trade Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart for KEVIN FREAKING DURANT?
Tatum and Durant is frightening.
The rest of the NBA should be hoping that doesn’t happen. – 10:57 AM Jaylen Brown @FCHWPO
Smh – 10:54 AM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
New: Reading the tea leaves on the rumored Kevin Durant trade talks involving the #Celtics including a closer look at the potential motives at play masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 10:49 AM Quinton Mayo @RealQuintonMayo
I know Celtics fans not mad about them offering JB for KD lol – 10:42 AM Evan Sidery @esidery
If the Celtics were able to pull off acquiring Kevin Durant, they would have all these players under contract through at least 2025:
Kevin Durant
Jayson Tatum
Robert Williams
Malcolm Brogdon
Marcus Smart or Derrick White – 10:39 AM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
Could Kevin Durant be making his way to Boston for Jaylen Brown?
Hear what @LegsESPN thinks 👇 pic.twitter.com/oQAzQ3YsiY – 10:30 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Screw it, here are my predictions:
Kevin Durant for Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, two unprotected picks and one swap.
Kyrie Irving and Buddy Hield to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook and the 2029 1st to Indiana, Talen Horton-Tucker, the 2027 first and two 2nds to Brooklyn. – 10:08 AM Get Up @GetUpESPN
If Boston lands KD, @Mark Jackson says they’d be one of the favorites in the East AND one of the favorites to win it all 👀 pic.twitter.com/3CQLyZSvaR – 10:01 AM StatMuse @statmuse
Durant in year 5:
— 28/8/4
— 50/39/86%
— 3rd All-Star selection
— 1st Team All-NBA
— 23 years old
— First Finals appearance
Tatum in year 5:
— 27/8/4
— 45/35/85%
— 3rd All-Star selection
— 1st Team All-NBA
— 23 years old
— First Finals appearance pic.twitter.com/zr86vpNz4w – 9:57 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Jaylen Brown is two years from free agency.
He can’t be extended at his max because his current salary is too low (only $27 million, and he can only get a 20% raise to start an extension).
He can’t become supermax eligible in Brooklyn.
Trading for him would be a sizable risk – 9:56 AM Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
#Celtics are surprise late entry into Kevin Durant trade sweepstakes #nets nypost.com/2022/07/25/bos… via @nypostsports – 9:50 AM StatMuse @statmuse
Jaylen Brown in 2022:
— 23.6 PPG
— 6.1 RPG
— 1.1 SPG
A top ___ second option in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/PgOUThk20u – 9:35 AM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Writing up my KD thoughts for @celticsblog and I’m struck by remembering that Boston traded for KG on July 31 and Kyrie Irving in mid-August.
The Celtics care not for your late-summer vacation plans. – 9:23 AM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Jaylen Brown just had the most successful season of his career and was arguably the best Celtics player in the Finals. All that just to see his name in trade talks a month later. Sheeeshh.
The NBA is a cutthroat business! – 9:01 AM Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Think it makes sense for Boston to try to jump into KD sweepstakes using a Brown+ offer. Their title window is wide open right now. Brown only has two years of team control left. Can’t really extend his deal because his current salary is so low that he’d be leaving $ on table. – 8:58 AM Get Up @GetUpESPN
“Boston is among several teams that have been in regular contact with Brooklyn I’m told .”
—@Adrian Wojnarowski pic.twitter.com/WyUI9Hlczd – 8:55 AM Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
We broke down the potential KD-Jaylen Brown trade framework recently on @The Athletic, which has suddenly become a very real possibility. theathletic.com/3393996/2022/0… – 8:51 AM Tom Westerholm @Tom_NBA
Keeping this Celtics core together is reasonable because they are a contender and continuity matters, but if your entire stated objective is the cold pursuit of a championship, I’m not sure continuity matters as much as Kevin Durant. – 8:40 AM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Potential Celtics-Nets Kevin Durant blockbuster trade is possible, would be built around Boston All-Star, NBA insider says nj.com/sports/2022/07… – 8:35 AM StatMuse @statmuse
— Celtics vs Lakers
— Battle for banner 18
— Boston vs Kyrie
— KD vs Bron
This would be an amazing Finals if it happened. pic.twitter.com/r26Va6GPId – 8:32 AM Mike Prada @MikePradaNBA
Jaylen Brown’s extension eligibility — and possible supermax eligibility in 23 or 24 if he rejects said extension — seems like an key driver of these recent KD trade talks. If you can’t lock Jaylen up now, trading for KD makes a lot more sense. – 8:28 AM Krishna Narsu @knarsu3
If the Celts get KD for Jaylen+White, title is pretty much a wrap for them barring injuries. Question would then move to how they compare vs. Warriors with KD (still would take the Warriors but it’d be close) – 8:18 AM Austin Krell @NBAKrell
If we’re to believe that part of why Durant wants out of BKN is their refusal to give his good friend Kyrie Irving a new max deal, hard to believe he’d OK a trade to Boston, given the Kyrie history there. – 8:05 AM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
I’ll have some scattered thoughts on Boston talking Kevin Durant trades up on @celticsblog a little later this morning. Coffee first! – 7:55 AM Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
Durant talks, with Boston and everyone else, will still likely drag out. Teams want to see what kind of appetite Brooklyn has for bringing KD/Kyrie to training camp. That will determine if the Nets come off their steep asking price. – 7:52 AM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
What would a potential Kevin Durant trade look like with the #Celtics? Broke down the financials, potential compensation packages and much more earlier this month masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 7:51 AM Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
A Celtics pursuit of KD was inevitable (as noted here: si.com/nba/2022/07/01…). Durant-Tatum instantly becomes the NBA’s most lethal scoring duo. Boston would jump to the favorites in the East. The question is: How much more than Brown/picks will the C’s have to give up? – 7:50 AM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Celtics reportedly engaged with Nets in Kevin Durant trade talks nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/25/cel… – 7:25 AM Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
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: theathletic.com/3446562/2022/0… – 7:18 AM Chris Broussard @Chris_Broussard
MJ at No. 3?!!!! KD to Boston? The Logo vs. JJ Redick? Is Kyler worth the coin? It’s about to go down on @FTFonFS1 right now! 7:30 am ET on @FS1 @Nick Wright @kevinwildes @JennaWolfe – 7:18 AM Nick Wright @getnickwright
Back from vacation and I’ve NEVER been more ready to be on the air… We’ve got the KD-BOS Woj Bomb from the middle of the night, my incredibly compelling & brilliant explanation for having MJ at #3, Kyler’s contract & The Logo shooting flames! @FTFonFS1 can’t start soon enough! – 6:51 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
I don’t think Boston entering the fray changes Toronto’s stance on Scottie Barnes for KD. If anything, I imagine they’d be fine with Durant in Boston.
It would make the Celtics stronger now, but much weaker in a few years when Scottie is hitting his prime. – 2:52 AM Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
If the Raptors are unwilling to put Scottie Barnes in a deal, Jaylen Brown is quite clearly the best player the Nets could get for KD.
That feels like the team that’s going to get this done, and a lot of other contenders are gonna be left holding the pieces. – 2:49 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
If the Celtics get Durant and the Lakers get Kyrie, Lakers-Celtics becomes a Christmas Day lock and probably the most anticipated regular-season game since… well it’s been awhile. – 2:47 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
I think Jaylen Brown and Ben Simmons is a really interesting start to a team.
Brooklyn would also presumably get three picks from Boston, two more from the Lakers for Kyrie, and they still have one left from Philly for the Harden trade.
They could trade for a third major piece. – 2:45 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Note: Kevin Durant makes roughly $15 million more than Jaylen Brown. Boston would have to send out some more salary to make that trade plausible.
Derrick White makes the most sense. He balances out the salary and Brogdon makes him redundant. – 2:41 AM Clemente Almanza @CAlmanza1007
There’s some poetry in the Nets trading KD to the Celtics if it happens – 2:34 AM StatMuse @statmuse
Who ya got?
Steph Jordan
Klay Harper
Durant Pippen
Iggy Kukoc
Draymond Rodman pic.twitter.com/MIstdm54hd – 11:19 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
From earlier — ASK IRA: Is the Kevin Durant waiting game proving toxic to NBA, Heat? sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 5:19 PM NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
KD has no chill 🤣
(h/t @NBAMemes, @Kevin Durant) pic.twitter.com/0KDBzLnEes – 3:52 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
ASK IRA: Is the Kevin Durant waiting game proving toxic to NBA, Heat? sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 12:33 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Is Kevin Durant waiting game proving toxic to NBA, Heat? Latest “Ask Ira” at sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… plus more. – 8:37 AM

More on this storyline

Shams Charania of Stadium was first to report that Boston included Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a future draft pick in an offer for the All-Star forward that the Nets turned down. However, it appears that despite the news surfacing of these reports this morning, these talks may have gone down weeks ago. “I know that it came out today so it’s front of mind, but from what I understand those are not fresh talks,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Monday. -via Booth Newspapers / July 25, 2022 Windhorst also elaborated on what he believed was Brooklyn’s stance in current negotiations after Durant’s trade demand. “Right now the Nets’ viewpoint is: If they can’t get their price, they’re going to ride out the storm,” Windhorst said. “They could start the season with Durant or that could be a negotiating stance.” -via Booth Newspapers / July 25, 2022 Mark Murphy: Source on Jaylen Brown’s reaction to trade rumors: “He loves it in Boston. He was two games away from a championship. He’s happy and looking forward to coming back. … Like Kawhi, AD and others on that level, he’s going to be included in every report because of who he is.” -via Twitter @Murf56 / July 25, 2022 The Celtics offered Brown, guard Derrick White and a draft pick to the Nets for Durant, sources said. The proposal was rejected, and Brooklyn has asked Boston — in any proposal — to include Brown, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, draft picks and potentially one more rotation player, those sources added. Currently, the Celtics are less inclined to include Smart along with multiple other player or pick assets, but the franchise is mulling over next steps on how to approach discussions. -via The Athletic / July 25, 2022