Young star Jaylen Brown reacts after being rumored to be the center of trade talks for disgruntled star Kevin Durant.
While the trade market for Kevin Durant has been at a slow crawl, however there are now rumors that the Boston Celtics are pursuing the disgruntled forward.
The slashing wing Jaylen Brown took to twitter to react to the trade rumors that he’d be the centerpiece in a trade for the former MVP Durant. The talented young guard tweeted just-three-letters, “Smh,” which of course means ‘shake my head.’
Earlier this week it was reported that the Celtics offered young All-Star Brown, Derrick White and some draft compensation for the sharpshooting wing.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Brown will begin to feel disgruntled with Boston’s front office, especially since he was essential to the team’s NBA Finals run. Brown is a talented player on both sides of the court and I’m sure will feel underappreciated by the organization.
Where there’s smoke, there’s often fire – unless someone is trying to use trade rumors to other ends.
Fans of the Boston Celtics awoke to news their favorite team might be gearing up to trade not only Jaylen Brown but also Derrick White or perhaps even Marcus Smart and more to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for veteran superstar Kevin Durant. And while there is little debate that as things stand now that Durant is the better player in terms of what he can do for raising a team’s postseason potential, the asking price, his salary, age, disposition, and injury history are also elements in need of consideration.
But as the morning continued, more information trickled out about the timing and potential intent of such reports percolating to the surface. Who benefits from such news breaking? What other clues can we divine from related reports about the level of interest in dealing for Durant around the league?
And perhaps more importantly, how is Brown’s camp feeling about all of this, and might it be an issue of concern when the team wants to re-sign the Georgia native?
To get to the bottom of things, we linked up with the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy to try and get the behind-the-scenes info the veteran beat writer is hearing, with Murphy having spoken to sources close to Brown after the news broke this morning.
Check out the pod and get your bearings on some very splashy news that could very well simply end up another drop in a sea of Silly Season misinformation.
No deal for Durant is “imminent” if the Nets rejected an offer that included Jaylen Brown.
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After defeating the Nets by sweeping them out in the playoffs, the Celtics have since reportedly emerged as potential suitors for Kevin Durant.
Brooklyn wants a massive haul in return for Durant, and no one can blame them. He is a two-time NBA Finals MVP who is one of the greatest players of his generation.
Although league insider Shams Charania describes the Celtics as a “real threat” to land Durant, the Nets have reportedly rejected Boston’s latest offer (via The Athletic):
“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.”
Brown is a fantastic young player who is still just 25 years old. He may not be happy to have his name mentioned in trade rumors, but when you are as good as he is, that will happen.
If the Nets do not think Brown is enough for Durant, this potential trade may take some. Charania added that no deal for Durant is “imminent” and based on the reporting we have seen around the league, this saga could continue for a bit longer.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Nets are prepared to “ride out the storm” until they find an agreeable deal … even if that means continuing the recent drama through the end of the offseason and into the start of the regular season.
Durant would make the Celtics the favorites to win the title, but don’t count on it happening today or tomorrow.
The Tip-Off
(Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)
Even though he is at the center of recent trade rumors, Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant still found time for an incredible tweet on Monday morning.
“[Durant] noted that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr would have looked at their opponents and scouted that Chicago’s defense was weakest at the guard position.
Jordan won Defensive Player of the Year in 1988, he was a nine-time All-Defensive First-Team recipient, and he led the league in steals three times. Dennis Rodman was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Defensive First-Team honors seven times. Scottie Pippen was an eight-time All-Defensive First-Team recipient and led the league in steals twice.
Kerr played for the Bulls at the time, too, and he was on the floor for 22.4 minutes per game. He was a sharpshooter, but when he played alongside a Jordan-Rodman-Pippen trio, the guard was the weakest link on defense.”
Brilliant troll here by KD, though he is probably right. Kerr is self-aware enough to know that he would have been the worst defender on the floor.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics have emerged as a suitor for Kevin Durant. Last month when Durant publicly requested a trade, we took a look at potential teams that could be interested in him and pointed out how he would be the best player in the modern era to be traded since Shaquille O’Neal. After the Utah Jazz received four first-round picks for Rudy Gobert, that likely now serves as somewhat of a floor for the type of return the Nets would demand for Durant.
All-Star forward Jaylen Brown is reportedly the centerpiece of the Celtics’ package, which alone should make Brooklyn extremely interested. We take a look at what a potential deal could look like and what it would mean for both Boston and Brooklyn.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics have emerged as a suitor for Kevin Durant. Last month when Durant publicly requested a trade, we took a look at potential teams that could be interested in him and pointed out how he would be the best …
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics have emerged as a suitor for Kevin Durant. Last month when Durant publicly requested a trade, we took a look at potential teams that could be interested in him and pointed out how he would be the best player in the modern era to be traded since Shaquille O’Neal. After the Utah Jazz received four first-round picks for Rudy Gobert, that likely now serves as somewhat of a floor for the type of return the Nets would demand for Durant.
All-Star forward Jaylen Brown is reportedly the centerpiece of the Celtics’ package, which alone should make Brooklyn extremely interested. We take a look at what a potential deal could look like and what it would mean for both Boston and Brooklyn.
Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports that Jaylen Brown is “looking forward to coming back.”
Recent reporting across the NBA landscape suggested Boston’s Jaylen Brown could be included as the centerpiece in a potential Kevin Durant trade. The Celtics reportedly checked in on Brooklyn’s disgruntled superstar, though the talks never got very far.
Still, that Jaylen’s name was mentioned at all is intriguing, and it appears the former All-Star caught wind of the gossip. Brown tweet “smh” or “shaking my head,” Monday morning as speculation swirled.
Brown may just be frustrated with the nature of the NBA rumor mill more than anything else. Yes, he has previously used Twitter to seemingly indicate feeling of disrespect from Celtics fans, but long-time Boston Herald reported Mark Murphy stated Brown is indeed happy in the Hub.
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." https://t.co/bNV0y6U9Zw
Jaylen Brown is no stranger to the tumult of an NBA trade rumor news cycle. Likewise, he’s a vice president to the executive committee for the NBA Players Association. Brown certainly knows much more about the situation than has been reported. Expect a few more twists and turns from this story in the coming days.
The Celtics reportedly offered Jaylen Brown in a trade offer for KD.
The Boston Celtics aren’t resting on their laurels. The reigning Eastern Conference champions have reportedly made an offer to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant, and they’ve emerged as a “serious possibility” to land the two-time Finals MVP, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The deal, if executed, would make it hard to put another team ahead of Boston in the conversation for 2023 title favorite. As constructed, the Celtics already have +450 odds at most sportsbooks to win it all, the shortest of any team. Tipico Sportsbook moved them into a tie with the Phoenix Suns at +550 after they traded for Malcolm Brogdon in early July — and that was when the Suns were thought to be favorites to land Durant, which no longer seems plausible.
Now, it’s the Celtics in talks with Brooklyn. They reportedly offered a package centered around Jaylen Brown, who appeared to respond to the rumors on Twitter. And though it was rejected, the Nets’ asking price wouldn’t change Boston’s status as the unquestioned favorite if they found a way to come to an agreement.
The Nets and Celtics entered trade discussions for Kevin Durant, per @ShamsCharania
Boston reportedly offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick for Durant, but the Nets also wanted Marcus Smart, more draft picks and potentially one more rotation player pic.twitter.com/qTvOQezcx3
According to Charania, the Celtics offered Brown and Derrick White, and the Nets asked for proposals that included Brown, Marcus Smart, draft picks and potentially one more rotation player. If the goal is to win championships, and that’s all it takes, the Celtics have to find a way to make that happen.
As unfortunate as it would be to lose home-grown talents like Brown and Smart, replacing them with Durant and Brogdon represents a significant upgrade overall. However marginal the difference between Smart and Brogdon, the gap between Durant and Brown swings the trade in Boston’s favor and even makes up for whatever extra rotation player they might have to part with.
Even if they have to lose the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Boston would remain very good defensively. And Durant-Jayson Tatum would be an elite duo that any team would find difficult to stop. Now might be a good time to hammer Boston’s odds, before they grow any shorter.
Jaylen Brown appears to have heard the latest trade rumors, and let his feelings known with a simple tweet.
Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown is no stranger to trade rumors. Since Brown was drafted by the team back in 2016, his name has offered in possible packages for all sorts of players, from Kawhi Leonard to Kevin Love.
The latest buzz is that the Celtics and Nets have discussed a deal with Jaylen Brown and Kevin Durant as the centerpieces. The week started with a flurry of news, reports, speculation, and gossip, and it appears Brown is fully aware of the circus this sort news cycle typically brings.
Brown tweeted out “shaking my head,” presumably in response to this latest round of trade speculation.
Whether or not a Brown-Durant deal actually makes sense for Boston is another story entirely. Earlier in the offseason, Brown made some noise by “liking” a tweet suggesting he was disrespected by Celtics fans. Expect some more cryptic silliness across the NBA landscape until the dust settles on this one.
This could turn ugly for the Celtics if they don’t trade for KD.
The Kevin Durant trade rumors have taken quite a turn on Monday.
And it may lead to a disastrous turn for the Boston Celtics.
There were multiple reports on Monday that the defending Eastern Conference champs were “engaged” — per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski — in a potential deal with Boston involving KD.
Jaylen Brown would potentially be part of the exchange, which would make sense, the kind of stud that would help the Nets rebound a bit from trading a top-three player.
But … what if this deal doesn’t happen? How would Brown feel about returning to a team that reportedly thought about trading him?
It appears we have an answer. Amidst the trade talk, Brown tweeted this on Monday:
Yep. As in, “shaking my head.” As in, if this is what he’s referring to, this could turn ugly if it all goes very wrong and Boston doesn’t end up with Durant.
Reading between the lines in such a charged situation isn’t easy.
The Boston Celtics are reportedly in the mix to trade for Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant, according to multiple reports from widely trusted sources. As fans of the team awake to the news that dropped late on a Sunday night, the bombshell report is quite a lot for fans to take in, and for good reason.
Dealing for KD would entail — in fact DOES entail — trading large parts of a team’s core that came within two games of winning the 2022 NBA title. That includes an offer that has been reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania to include forward Jaylen Brown, a beloved player to fans. It will likely also include much if not all of the team’s moveable draft assets for a player who may be past their prime, and one who has not had the best injury luck in recent seasons.
But Durant may still be the most potent offensive weapon in the league despite the dings and encroachments of Father Time. What should we think about this news so violently disrupting the so-called doldrums of summer?
A new report suggests the Celtics are firmly in the mix for a possible Kevin Durant deal. But is Jaylen Brown really available? https://t.co/6vxFxnZaPJ
