Ever since Kevin Durant requested a trade out of Brooklyn in late June, all sports media pundits have seemingly been able to talk about is where the megastar could wind up being shipped out to and, of the many potential landing spots, the Boston Celtics have been viewed as being the franchise who can offer up the most enticing return package.
Of course, in any possible KD trade, the cost would come at the expense of 25-year-old star, Jaylen Brown, heading borough bound which, while to casuals it may seem like a fair trade-off, for a large portion of the C’s fanbase, this is simply too much of a haul and, as a result, it has turned many off to the idea of seeing this blockbuster exchange actually executed.
Unfortunately, this disapproval from the franchise’s faithful followers has not swayed the likes of Brad Stevens and co. away from pursuing Brooklyn’s star wing, as it was recently reported that the front office made an offer that would, in fact, send their fifth-year stud to the Nets (subscription required).
According to the aforementioned report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the proposal consisted of Brown, Derrick White, and a first-round pick being sent packing for Durant, though Brooklyn ended up rejecting and, instead, countered with a deal that added Marcus Smart, more draft capital, and potentially one more rotation player into the mix.
Now, right from the jump it appears that this scenario is simply getting a bit out of hand, for, not only do we see the idea of swapping out JB for KD being a bit too much, but now they’re asking for Smart and a large sum of picks on top of this?
To us at the Houdini, this should absolutely spell the end to these types of trade talks between the two clubs.
However, there are still plenty of other fans and outlets out there who are still pushing for the Boston Celtics to take part in this proposed megadeal and, just recently, the folks at Bleacher Report went about and constructed a package that they believe would be beneficial for the team.
The exact trade reads as follows:
Citing the two-way domination that a duo consisting of Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant would inflict upon the rest of the league, coupled with the team’s newly-bolstered depth chart, writer Andy Bailey believes that, while it may seem like the Boston Celtics would be giving up a lot in the exchange, the remaining talents left in tow could, in his eyes, easily go on to pick up the pieces:
"Boston was already sitting in pole position (or at least close to it) in the East, just by bringing everyone back. And with Tatum and Brown as your top two, you have the potential to contend for around a decade. Swapping Brown for Durant opens the window wider, but it shortens the amount of time it’ll stay that way.The Celtics have certainly considered all of that already, though. Pushing their chips in for KD would make the Milwaukee Bucks less of a worry. Ditto for the Philadelphia 76ers. And it’d probably eliminate the Nets from the analysis for the foreseeable future.Losing Smart is a big deal too, but the addition of Malcolm Brogdon for a pick and fringe rotation players softens that blow. And Boston could probably get away with adding fewer picks than most teams, since its package includes a 25-year-old All-Star."
Now, if we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times— the Boston Celtics should not be interested in trading for Kevin Durant if it means giving up Jaylen Brown.
Sure, at this point in time the Nets star may be the better talent and, from an all-time standpoint, he’s one of the greatest talents to lace them up on the hardwood.
Without a doubt, on the surface the idea of a 2x Finals MVP who just averaged 29.9 points,7.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and just shy of a block per game on 51 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent shooting from deep last year teaming up with one of the game’s brightest budding superstars in Tatum who just guided his team to the 2022 NBA Finals while averaging 26.9 points, eight rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game and earned First Team All-NBA honors along the way is a spicy thought to consider.
However, there’s an argument to be made that the current partnership between Jays should not be given up on, and giving up Brown in exchange for KD could throw away the potential for a legitimate dynasty.
The Boston Celtics currently find themselves rostering two All-Star wings still on the right side of their 20’s, with Brown being 25 and Tatum only just turning 24.
Even with their obvious youth, the tandem has already managed to find ample success whilst running alongside one another, seeing three Eastern Conference Finals appearances and coming just two wins shy of actually winning an NBA championship throughout their five-year tenure together.
Does their recent NBA Finals loss sting a bit? Absolutely. That said, by no means does their 2022 run mean that this was their only chance at attaining ultimate glory in this league.
Not by a long shot!
In fact, the vast majority of the league’s greatest players didn’t wind up winning their first titles until their late 20s and, sometimes, even beyond that, with prominent examples including Michael Jordan (28), LeBron James (27), and, yes, even Durant (28).
A move like the one Bailey proposed may be something that could inch the Boston Celtics closer to attaining banner No. 18 as soon as next season, and there’s no denying that. However, as he himself mentioned, it may widen their championship window a bit, but it’s lifespan would be significantly cut short.
By keeping the likes of Tatum and Brown together, they may have to wait a little longer to nab title 18, but, with this, their odds of claiming title 19, 20, and beyond that significantly increases, for they’re young enough to have at least a full decade to play top-flight basketball together.
That same, unfortunately, cannot be said about a duo of Tatum and Durant and, while the idea heading into 2022-23 may be intriguing on the surface, when one looks a bit deeper at this hypothetical, it becomes more and more clear that keeping their current core intact may be the best course of action for the franchise moving forward.