We’re well established right now in the Kevin Durant rumor mill, and we should be getting a critical KD trade update this week following the Boston Celtics being roped into the newswire at the end of July. The 33-year-old will be meeting with Nets ownership this week, and he could either renege his trade request or reinforce it.
In reality, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens likely offered the Jaylen Brown-centric package that is being reported all the way back at the end of June when Durant’s trade request was initially submitted to Brooklyn.
That was before Sean Marks and co. allowed their asking price to get out of hand, allegedly demanding an amount of draft picks only a desperate franchise like the New York Knicks would attempt to meet.
If Durant does reassure Joe Tsai and co. that he doesn’t want to stay in NYC with Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, perhaps the trade price could drop. In that scenario, the Boston Celtics could offer this trade package for both Durant and perfect KD-Jayson Tatum complementary piece Joe Harris:
Why the Boston Celtics do it
The prize of the offseason is Kevin Durant, and it’s known that the price will be steep–as in, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart steep–to land him. Hardwood Houdini believes that if those two are involved in the dealings, something else should be coming back as well.
In this case, Joe Harris would be the returning piece, and to get him, it’d cost the Cs sixth man Derrick White — who was thought to be a goner by some after the arrival of Malcolm Brogdon. Being that it took a first-round pick to land White from the San Antonio Spurs, he’d essentially take the place of one in this offer.
Durant and Jayson Tatum is an isolation heavy duo that could use knock-down shooting around them, and Harris’ blazing 44% 3-point conversion rate for his career is a good indicator he’d fit that role to a T.
Why the Brooklyn Nets do it
Jaylen Brown has been called the biggest prize in Brooklyn’s sights in KD trade talks, and Marcus Smart is the line in the sand the Nets are drawing in trade talks. The draft picks are an obvious must, but swapping Joe Harris for Derrick White would give Steve Nash another capable shot-creator. Collecting those should be a goal in the absence of a one-man offensive system in Kevin Durant.