The Celtics‘ Jaylen Brown is the best individual talent the Nets could hope to get in a Kevin Durant trade, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says in a discussion with Jared Weiss of The Athletic. News that Boston made an offer to Brooklyn that included Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick shook up the rumor mill on Monday, about a month after Durant made his trade request.
Brown is a potential All-Star over the next few seasons, Scotto adds, and could become a cornerstone for the Nets long after Durant has retired. White, meanwhile, is easier to part with after the Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers.
Scotto also notes that there’s an element of risk with Durant, who will turn 34 in September and has been through two significant injuries. He adds that some teams are starting to question the value of paying exorbitant salaries to stars in their 30s, and the four years remaining on Durant’s contract might not be universally seen as something positive.
Scotto and Weiss address trade rumors involving a few more players:
- Replacing White with Marcus Smart might make the Nets more willing to take the Celtics’ offer, even if it means getting fewer draft picks. Sources tell Scotto that Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks has been an admirer of Smart for years and would love the chance to add him to Brooklyn’s roster. Weiss questions whether the Celtics can afford to give up the fiery guard, who represents a large part of the team’s defensive identity, and said he’s probably worth more to Boston than he would be to just about anyone else.
- The Celtics are interested in an extension for Grant Williams, but they may hold off to see if he’s needed in a Durant deal, according to Weiss. Another factor, Weiss adds, is how high Boston is willing to go on a raise for Williams considering the expected rise in the salary cap.
- Scotto is among the observers who believe the Nets would prefer to hold onto Durant and Kyrie Irving and see how the season plays out, which is part of the reason they’re keeping the price for Durant so high. With a healthy Ben Simmons and Joe Harris, plus a full season of Seth Curry and the addition of T.J. Warren, the Nets might be in a position to contend as long as Durant and Irving are still around. Weiss supports Brooklyn trading Irving for Russell Westbrook, but only if the Lakers include two first-round picks in the deal.
Yes, Grant Williams needs to be in Durant deal
2023-24 salary cap $129 .8 million
Davis + LeBron + Tucker = $102 million
Cap hold = $10 million
Lakers have $17 million salary cap to sign Irving only.
Irving will be sign and trade to Lakers next summer?
Irving will be a Free Agent next year. He will be able to sign where ever he wants.
He could have done that this year. Money trumps everything.
Except the Lakers were the only team that wanted him.
And that probably won’t change next year, or the year after, etc.
Yes, an aging injury riddled team should sign an aging veteran for far less than he could get on the open market, that is if Kyrie actually wants to play a full season. Signing Kyrie will help a team that knows they have to get younger.
Stop reporting Nets drama dribble. Nothing to see here until October at the earliest.
Or maybe, you should stop coming to this website. They are not here to make you happy, despite what you might think. That probably confuses you. If the site upsets you that much, go to your safe place.
Honestly, the Nets could be still be competitive if they were to do Durant and Kyrie trades.
Let’s say: Kyrie for Westbrook and picks
Durant for Brown, Smart, and picks
So you’d probably run lineups like this
PG: Westbrook, Mills, Sumner
SG: Smart, Curry, Thomas
SF: Brown, Harris, Edwards
PF: Warren, O’Neale
C: Simmons, Claxton, Sharpe
That’s a play in team AT WORST, and people tend to forget that they still have their own pick this year, as long as it’s worse than Houston, so they could be as bad as they want to be this year, but as long as they’re better than Houston, they could still have a lottery pick.
Bruce brown is no longer on nets roster
That’s Jaylen Brown
Wow
Would be the worst shooting team in the league.
Simmons isn’t a center.
So are the Celtics like the Yankees in how their players are overvalued? I get VORP isn’t everything, but he’s a top 40 player and the ask from other teams has been a better player AND multiple draft picks not just one.
Why does this guy feel the Nets will KEEP Irvin???? Doesn’t he know that Irvin is a Free Agent next year??? If they keep him, he walks next year and they GET NOTHING for him…. NOTHING! That would be a fools move to keep him – trade him now so you can at least get “something” for him.
The Nets would LOVE to trade him. Unfortunately the other teams don’t want him.
Durant is 34. The Celtics were so n the Finals with a hurt center and weak bench. This will not be the case this year. They also were up 10 in game 4 with 5 minutes left while leading the series 2 – 1. They don’t need Durant!
You’re right. It won’t be the case cause they will be out in the 2nd Rd like they would have been this year if Milwaukee had Middleton
@Spike:
Your comment is proof that Celtics fans are delusional. The Celtics’ biggest lead in game 4 was 7 pts after <3 minutes played in the 1st Q. With 5 minutes left in the game the score was 94-90, Celtics up 4.
The Celtics were outscored 17-3 in the final 5 minutes. The supposed "best defense in the league" gave up 43 pts on 54% shooting to Steph Curry.
No one was able to stop Curry all playoffs, which is why the Warriors won it all. Come on Knicks and Lakers fans are way more delusional
If you’re giving Brown the reigns, he can take 30 or so shots a game ya hell be an AS.
If they trade brown and smart for Durant they are crazy.. I might would gamble trading Brien and a role player for Durant but I’m my opinion Nets getting Brown straight up is a win .. Broen is young and budding superstar. Durant is often injured and almost 34 years of age coming off 2 major injuries
Boy any dumb fan knows that paying big bucks to a guy in his 30’s is just plain dumb!
You pay the big bucks for someone in his early or mid 20’s, just common sense… I have said that for years now!
I think that some team should look into cloning a player from a video game so that they can trade him for KD. It’s clear that the Nets want a trade return for him that doesn’t exist in the real world.
As a gsw fan I can’t believe Boston is willing to trade away their backcourt -particularly Brown- for kd. Anyone who saw the finals know who the best player on the C’s was and it wasn’t Tatum but Jaylen Brown. Your going to have a lopsided disparity between front court and back court talent as well!