Celtics emerging as trade suitor for Kevin Durant

As Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant’s trade request approaches a fourth week, the Boston Celtics have emerged among teams engaged in talks on a possible deal, sources told ESPN. The Celtics appear no closer to acquiring Durant than others in discussions with the Nets, but Boston’s ability to include All-Star forward Jaylen Brown as a centerpiece in offers does help to make them formidable in pursuit, sources said.
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski @ ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

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
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 Stefan Bondy @SBondyNYDN
Former Nets All-Star hopes Durant and Irving stick around: ‘Let’s give it one more run’ nydailynews.com/sports/basketb… – 7:24 AM

More on this storyline

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. -via The Athletic / 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 No deal for Durant is imminent, and as August and then September loom, the real desire of interested teams will become clear to the Nets. Brooklyn’s front office, led by general manager Sean Marks, has set a high price on the Durant market while constructing a team that gives the organization confidence in its ability to contend should the team bring the roster, as is, into training camp. The onus is on the interested parties to come to the table on meeting the price for one of the NBA’s greatest ever players. The Utah Jazz moved Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package including multiple players, their 2022 first-round pick in Walker Kessler, four future first-rounders and a draft pick swap — which has somewhat increased the market value for Durant and the Nets’ desire for All-Star caliber players and picks. -via The Athletic / July 25, 2022