The question everyone around the NBA wants answered is:
“Where is Kevin Durant going to be traded to?”
Requesting a trade on June 30 from the Brooklyn Nets, Durant’s time in Brooklyn appears to be coming to an end after three seasons with the team…
Or is it?
As of right now, the Nets seem comfortable with the idea of dragging this situation with Durant out into training camp, which is set to begin late-September, but new details on where trade talks stand are pointing towards the Boston Celtics potentially getting a deal done for the twelve-time All-Star.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Durant has shown no change in his stance of wanting to be traded this offseason and the Boston Celtics recently offered All-Star wing Jaylen Brown in a deal for Kevin Durant.
In this reported deal, the Celtics offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick for the Nets’ superstar, but Brooklyn rejected this proposal and instead asked for Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, multiple draft picks and potentially another player to be added onto the deal. According to Charania, the Celtics are now mulling over next steps on how to approach discussions with the Nets.
This is a massive development not only because Kevin Durant could potentially be on the move, but he could end up being traded to the team who just lost in the 2022 NBA Finals.
After losing in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors in six games, the Boston Celtics know that they are right on the doorstep of raising their eighteenth championship banner in team history.
Not only have the Celtics become one of the top defensive teams in the league, but their All-Star duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum remains one of the best duos in the entire league, especially given that they are both 25-years-old or younger.
However, the idea of adding Kevin Durant to a championship contending roster could be too good for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to pass up on.
As of right now, the Celtics still have their entire starting five from the 2021-22 season in Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Robert Williams III. Depth has really hurt Boston the last few seasons, which is why they added Derrick White ahead of the trade deadline and then went out and got not only Malcolm Brogdon this offseason, but veteran Danilo Gallinari as well.
Making a monumental trade like this for Kevin Durant could really throw off the balance of this team, especially on the defensive-end of the floor where their championship identity has been built.
On the other side of things though, this is not just any player we are talking about here… It is Kevin Durant, one of the greatest players in NBA history.
Chances like these to acquire an all-time great still in the prime of his career do not come up every day, which is why this is such a major decision that the Celtics are currently going back-and-forth on.
It almost seems like if you are the Boston Celtics that you have to go “all-in” and pair Kevin Durant with Jayson Tatum, but you also have to be cognizant of the fact that you just came within two wins of a championship.
If the Celtics had both Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari in their recent series against the Golden State Warriors, many can agree that this series would have gone to seven games and at that point, anything is possible.
While other trade scenarios around the NBA seem like they have an easy “yes or no” answer to them, this one is truly a 50-50 decision in which the pros and cons are really unknown for both sides.
Kevin Durant definitely increases the Celtics’ chances of winning in the postseason, but in doing so, will Boston sacrifice too much of their depth, defensive intensity and long-term success?
Time will tell what the future holds for Durant, Brooklyn and Boston, as everything is expected to be quiet in the NBA until closer to the start of training camp.
