Boston Celtics Kevin Durant trade: SI insists Cs include Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart/Robert Williams

While Las Vegas sportsbooks believe the Boston Celtics did enough damage on the first day of free agency to once again contend with the Golden State Warriors for the NBA Championship, after coming within two games of beating them during the 2022 NBA Finals, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated thinks one major move is necessary to get over the hump..

That move is the Cs making a blockbuster pass for Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant — who requested a trade from the franchise this past week. The Nets have set the price sky-high for their 34-year-old former 2x Finals MVP, and the Cs are one of the teams with enough assets to satisfy what Brooklyn’s front office is looking for in return. Remember, the Nets were raided in the James Harden trade with the Houston Rockets, so they have no incentive to tank. Sure, they returned plenty of draft capital in their outgoing Harden trade with the Philadelphia 76ers this past February, but their own results have no bearing on where that pick lands.

The Nets are now forced to find a new home for Durant after a tumultuous 2021-22 season that saw both of his co-stars demand trades from a crownless Kings County. There’s reportedly a 90% chance that demand is met, but so far, Boston hasn’t been mentioned as a potential suitor. That didn’t stop Mannix from suggesting what it would take to land the 2014 regular season MVP.

According to the SI writer that broke the LeBron James return to Cleveland, it would take no less than Jaylen Brown, several future first-round picks–the Phoenix Suns’ best offer was reportedly four future first and pick swaps–and either Marcus Smart or Grant Williams:

"“Any Durant deal would begin with Jaylen Brown, the 25-year-old forward. It would undoubtedly include draft picks—Boston traded away its 2023 first rounder for Brogdon and owes the Spurs a pick swap from the Derrick White deal in 2028—and may require the Celtics to add another, non-Jayson Tatum player to the mix.”“Boston, if unintentionally, is prepared for that. If the Nets insist on Grant Williams, the Celtics have Gallinari, who joins a frontcourt rotation of Robert Williams and Al Horford and could include Thomas Bryant, the ex-Wizards center who reportedly has Boston on his short list. The Celtics, understandably, would resist surrendering Marcus Smart, who exceeded expectations in his first year as a lead guard, but if Smart were to go, Brogdon, who averaged 21 points per game during the 2020-21 season, is there to replace him.”"

For the Boston Celtics, Kevin Durant is no longer worth acquiring

Back before Brooklyn revealed its asking price for Durant, there was hope around these parts that the Boston Celtics would engage in the KD sweepstakes for the second time in six years. Now, knowing that almost a decades worth of surrendering control of the C’s own draft picks would be required to get a deal done, the Houdini would like to proudly pass on wanting Durant in a Celtics uniform.

The proposition of a Jayson Tatum-Durant 1-2 wing punch, with Al Horford and Robert Williams maintaining the team’s defensive identity down low, is an intriguing one. But without Smart, much of what made the Cs offense hum last season and opposing offenses suffocate just beyond the half-court line last season would be gone.

Brown’s role could be replaced with Durant’s game rather seamlessly. Smart’s departure compromises the whole operation, even with Malcolm Brogdon in town in exchange for a draft pick, Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith and salary filler. The Indiana Pacers PG was only able to be acquired so easily because he missed 46 games this past season, 16 the season before that during the 2020-21 empty arena era, and 19 during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 mess of a schedule.

Grant Williams is expendable because of his own upcoming extension next summer — one that could end up being an overpay. The Boston Celtics may not be able to afford it with their upcoming luxury tax bill following the 2022-23 season.

Still, the Durant asking price is too high even if Brown and Williams were enough, due to the mortgaging of a future Brooklyn is asking a team to do.

The Billy King trade doesn’t need a sequel nine years later where the Nets get their revenge.