New Celtics / Durant rumor

[SparzWizard]

Windhorst: So from what I can gather, it appears he and the Nets are looking forward to meeting up in training camp. Whether Kevin Durant is there and his level of buy-in, that’s the big question. But right now, I think the Nets want to run this team back and they’re hoping Kevin Durant agrees. The way they’re conducting trade talks and the prices they are asking has teams out there thinking they don’t really want to trade Kevin Durant anyway. They want to bring this team back. We’ll see if Kevin Durant goes along with that in training camp.

I agree with this conclusion.  BKN does not want to trade Durant and never did.

“Marks is still asking for the world; that won’t change,” one front office executive texted late last week. “They could call his bluff and make him come to camp. I can’t see him sitting out.” – via Sam Amick @ The Athletic

That'll make the Nets instant title contenders this season if KD stays.

KD/Irving/Simmons and some of their other guys are no pushovers

[Erik]

Windhorst: So from what I can gather, it appears he and the Nets are looking forward to meeting up in training camp. Whether Kevin Durant is there and his level of buy-in, that’s the big question. But right now, I think the Nets want to run this team back and they’re hoping Kevin Durant agrees. The way they’re conducting trade talks and the prices they are asking has teams out there thinking they don’t really want to trade Kevin Durant anyway. They want to bring this team back. We’ll see if Kevin Durant goes along with that in training camp.

I agree with this conclusion.  BKN does not want to trade Durant and never did.

“Marks is still asking for the world; that won’t change,” one front office executive texted late last week. “They could call his bluff and make him come to camp. I can’t see him sitting out.” – via Sam Amick @ The Athletic

That'll make the Nets instant title contenders this season if KD stays.

KD/Irving/Simmons and some of their other guys are no pushovers

Said it a lot so far, but KD would be a fool to waste a year with Kyrie & Ben Simmons. Those two have repeatedly demonstrated that they have no shame in destroying organizations. The only pitch I'd ever listen to as KD is one that talks about what offers they've got lined up to get those 2 out the door. Ideally for anyone resembling a starter in the NBA. These are not legitimate professionals at all.

If the Nets were a stock they're at the lowest point right now since acquiring KD.

• KD doesn't have enough trade value to net them anything more than JB + filler. Supposedly adding Marcus Smart or Robert Williams would have clinched the deal. Let that sink in. We're talking about roughly a top 20 player of all time with probably 2-3 good years left.
• Kyrie is likely not getting anything of significant value and is a total parasite. Sure, he's a dream come true for teams looking to shed long term cap space for an expiring contract, maybe sell a few jerseys and sit him in a corner somewhere when he opens his mouth. But what legitimate contender is going to dedicate a quarter of their cap space to someone as predictably toxic as him? This isn't even a high risk high reward play. You already know you're getting no reward. He quit on the Cavs, the Celtics, TWICE on the Nets (COVID & the playoffs).. it's about as sure of a thing as you can get. Exactly only Kyrie can mess up a situation with KD & Harden + strong supporting cast, forcing everyone running to another city to escape. Barring injury, I can't think of a single other "star" in the NBA (maybe even historically) that could take that product and finish with a 1st round sweep. He has 0 regard for winning, his team, the fans, or anyone else around him.
• Ben Simmons pulled a Fultz on the Sixers and then the Nets. He then had an opportunity to redeem himself during the playoffs when he was going to play in Game 4 but instead sat out with some ridiculous outfit enjoying himself while his team finished getting swept. The last time that he has played an NBA basketball game was the Game 7 loss with his iconic blunder. That was June 20, 2021. Over a year ago. What has he legitimately accomplished or how has he grown in the 6 years he's been in the NBA? IMO he's still overrated at his current trade value of "starter + picks"

If they do end up all staying and your narrative becomes headline news about how they're special, elite players and they have a "big 3," their stock is going to go up big time. That's when the smart money would short as hard as possible. They'll figure out a way to mess things up.

[johnnygreen]

Are the Celtics confirming that Jaylen is staying?

https://mobile.twitter.com/celtics/status/1560706936462422016

[Roy H.]

Are the Celtics confirming that Jaylen is staying?

https://mobile.twitter.com/celtics/status/1560706936462422016

Nope.  They’ll market JB even if he’s on the trade block.

[liam]

Does anyone else believe that the Nets are acting in bad faith? To their players and to other teams, leaking Celtics fake trade rumors, etc...

[hpantazo]

Does anyone else believe that the Nets are acting in bad faith? To their players and to other teams, leaking Celtics fake trade rumors, etc...

Of course. And I'm sure it will impact how teams deal with them in the future as long as the current FO staff remain in place.

[Big333223]

Does anyone else believe that the Nets are acting in bad faith? To their players and to other teams, leaking Celtics fake trade rumors, etc...

Of course. And I'm sure it will impact how teams deal with them in the future as long as the current FO staff remain in place.

It seems like the rest of the NBA has gotten that feeling too.

[celticsclay]

Windhorst: So from what I can gather, it appears he and the Nets are looking forward to meeting up in training camp. Whether Kevin Durant is there and his level of buy-in, that’s the big question. But right now, I think the Nets want to run this team back and they’re hoping Kevin Durant agrees. The way they’re conducting trade talks and the prices they are asking has teams out there thinking they don’t really want to trade Kevin Durant anyway. They want to bring this team back. We’ll see if Kevin Durant goes along with that in training camp.

I agree with this conclusion.  BKN does not want to trade Durant and never did.

“Marks is still asking for the world; that won’t change,” one front office executive texted late last week. “They could call his bluff and make him come to camp. I can’t see him sitting out.” – via Sam Amick @ The Athletic

That'll make the Nets instant title contenders this season if KD stays.

KD/Irving/Simmons and some of their other guys are no pushovers

Simmons is actually a pushover

[letsgoblue86]

God please No durant.

[liam]

Does anyone else believe that the Nets are acting in bad faith? To their players and to other teams, leaking Celtics fake trade rumors, etc...

Of course. And I'm sure it will impact how teams deal with them in the future as long as the current FO staff remain in place.

It seems like the rest of the NBA has gotten that feeling too.

If they wanted to trade Kyrie or KD they'd be gone by now...

[pokeKingCurtis]

Can the title of this thread please now be changed to "dead horse Celtics/Durant rumor"

[Roy H.]

As their futures in Brooklyn remain very much in doubt with the new season fast approaching, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving worked out together on Saturday with Hawks guard Trae Young and a number of other NBA players including former Nets wing Caris LeVert and Heat guard Victor Oladipo.

[Csfan1984]

I agree that Nets never wanted to deal KD. They are just done with Irving.

[pokeKingCurtis]

https://youtu.be/mQQ8lMybTOg

[blink]

man I can't wait until we can talk about actual basketball again, instead of bad rumors.

JKJB!  Ready to see another great season with Tatum and Brown!!!!!


KD can languish in Brooklyn for all I care.