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NY publication says Boston Celtics will land Kevin Durant due to impending Jaylen Brown raise

By Andrew Hughes

The New York Post went out on a major limb and predicted the Boston Celtics would land Kevin Durant to avoid Jaylen Brown's impending raise Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Post went out on a major limb and predicted the Boston Celtics would land Kevin Durant to avoid Jaylen Brown's impending raise Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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One of the Nets franchise’s most notable hometown publications predicted that they’ll continue their franchise teardown following their recent Kyrie Irving deal via a Kevin Durant trade in order to move on from a failed all-in era. That paper, the New York Post, simultaneously predicted that the Boston Celtics weren’t all-in on Jaylen Brown — suggesting that they’d swap him for Durant because of his impending raise in 2024 free agency.

With the cap raising to $134 million this upcoming offseason, max contracts will now be a fixed percentage of a higher salary cap pie. That means Brown’s max contract would cost more than Durant’s current deal, which was signed in August 2021.

Because of that raise, the Post claimed Boston would avoid a Brown raise and push their chips to the table this season — perhaps at the risk of the long-term picture — by bringing Durant onboard to be Jayson Tatum’s new co-star:

"“Whether the Boston Celtics should actually do this is up for debate, but Jaylen Brown is due for a massive pay raise, to the tune of a five-year $290 million extension this offseason. The Celtics may love Brown, but do they love him that much?”“Kevin Durant is in the first year of a four-year extension where he will make less on average than Brown should he get the full max extension for next season. Durant, 34, is eight years older, but his skills are malleable enough to fit with Jayson Tatum and he undoubtedly gets the Celtics closer to a title this season.”"

The Boston Celtics will keep Jaylen Brown and Kevin Durant will remain with Brooklyn Nets

There is not an obvious situation for Durant to join at the moment. The betting favorite to land him, the Phoenix Suns, are a franchise in flux with a new C-suite being implemented due to years of organizational misconduct from the former higher-ups. The next favorite, the Toronto Raptors, profiles more as a seller at the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

Boston and Golden State aren’t breaking up their cores, and not for nothing, the Nets could still be competitive with Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith now in tow and Cam Thomas seemingly ready to ascend to stardom.

Brown is staying in Boston and Durant is staying in Brooklyn. Nothing to see here.

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