Boston Celtics won’t engage in trade talks for 6x All-NBA First Teamer
Though he was heavily linked to the Boston Celtics over the summer, the odds of Kevin Durant being acquired by a Cs front office led by President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens are currently astronomical.
At this point, that’s the best course of action. Durant is making the rounds right now for calling out his Brooklyn Nets teammates by name — specifically Edmond Sumner, Royce O’Neale, Joe Harris, and Nic Claxton — and saying to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes that he shouldn’t be expected to win with the aforementioned lineup around him.
The Boston Celtics have prided themselves on a team culture that has not only survived the suspension of head coach Ime Udoka but thrived en route to one of the league’s hottest starts in 2022-23.
Luckily, Heavy’s Sean Deveney revealed a week ago that a league source told him the Cs wouldn’t engage Nets GM Sean Marks even if he did inquire about a KD-for-Jaylen Brown trade again after a summer’s worth of dissecting such a swap. Here’s what an unnamed Eastern Conference executive told him:
"“Oh, it would be zero interest from the Celtics, that would be a non-starter. Brown’s an All-Star and he’s eight years younger than KD (who is 34). The team’s playing well, they’re not going to touch that. I am sure it will be talked about again, and maybe the Celtics will struggle and things can change. But that would be shocking.”"
Who could trade for Kevin Durant since the Boston Celtics won’t
With the Boston Celtics out of the running for the 6x All-NBA First Teamer, there are only a handful of teams that could seriously be considered as a plausible Kevin Durant landing spot.
The Los Angeles Lakers spring to mind since Durant and LeBron James have won Olympic gold together and both franchises are similarly struggling in the present while having few future assets to look forward to. L.A. would have to be the team that avoids the rebuild in such a scenario.
The Washington Wizards also loom given they play in Durant’s home town. Bradley Beal would be an ideal No. 2 to Durant leading the charge in the nation’s capital. The Wizards have more to offer than the Lakers in both talent and draft capital.
Finally, there’s a team like the Chicago Bulls, who can maintain enough of a winning core around KD while also giving Brooklyn a top scoring option (DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine) in return. The Bulls were never mentioned as a suitor in the summer, but dangling one of the aforementioned wings, Patrick Williams, and Coby White could make for an interesting package.