Stephen A. Smith foolishly reignites Jaylen Brown-Kevin Durant Boston Celtics trade rumor

This again? In the aftermath of Kyrie Irving’s trade to the Mavericks, Stephen A. Smith is foolishly reigniting the rumor that the Boston Celtics would be willing to part with Jaylen Brown as the main piece in a trade for Kevin Durant.

Brown, who is 26, just made his second All-Star game and is in the midst of another career-best season — his sixth season in the league and fifth alongside All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, all with the Celtics. Durant, who is 34 and in the midst of recovering from a sprained MCL on the different leg that he tore his Achilles less than four years ago, could be on the verge of requesting his second trade in the last 12 months.

Smith linked the two players to a potential trade deadline deal on the February 6 edition of First Take following an entire 2022 offseason where the two players were oft-mentioned in the same breath regarding a swap.

The Boston Celtics aren’t trading any core members at the trade deadline

While KD is sure to re-emerge on the trade block any moment, the Boston Celtics are most certainly going to avoid risking hurting their chemistry any further after surviving a summer of trade rumors and a shocking coaching change last year.

Brad Stevens knows chemistry is important, which is why he re-added Al Horford in his first move as the team’s President of Basketball Operations. Sending away Brown for a player who has not been content in winning situations before isn’t in line with the moves he’s made so far to complement his core, not detonate it.

Not only will Stevens avoid including Brown in any trade proposals, but he’s also going to deny any inquiries about Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams III. It’s become apparent that Grant Williams is on the table ahead of his impending restricted free agency and Payton Pritchard’s recent comments could indicate an eventual deal for him too.

But for the last time, the Boston Celtics aren’t getting involved in any blockbuster deals at this point in time. We can revisit this in the offseason if something goes horribly awry between now and June.