New Celtics / Durant rumor

[Vermont Green]

I still don’t believe there is a better player available to them than Brown. Any other team that could offer someone better than Brown wouldn’t be left with enough for Durant to want to go there to compete for a championship.

The picks from wherever he goes will probably not be lottery picks for as long as he’s there. Durant would elevate any team he goes to. He’d make a good team a contender. He’d make a contender the favorite. But he’s not looking to make a fringe playoff team a 4-seed.

If Nets are going all in on a rebuild, I don’t know how they send Durant to the team of his choosing and get more than Brown, White, and picks.

Ingram?

Interesting question, Ingram or Brown, who has more value?  I suspect that Brown has more value right now, I personally value Brown a little higher than Ingram.  He was a key part of a finals team and that tends to produce some recency bias.  He has more physicality than Ingram.  But at worst, Ingram is right there with Brown.  If BKN would take Brown, I suspect they would be happy with Ingram also.  NOP has all their picks (or swaps for better picks) plus one from LAL and a couple from MIL.  They could put a good package together if they wanted to.  It would make some sense.  Durant and Williamson fit together better in my opinion than Durant and Tatum.

[jbpats]

The Mock trade with Philly has Durant for Maxey/Harris/Thybulle and 2027/29 first rounders. I have to think there will be better offers elsewhere but my original question stands.

IF the Nets take that trade that clearly makes Philly better then us - and don't start with the assumption there will be injuries.. assume full strength for both the 76ers and Celtics.

Does that force our hand to trade Brown so the trade doesn't happen? A Celtics team with Durant is superior than the currently constructed Philly team, our existing team as is is better than the currently constructed Philly team.. Our team however as is against a team of Harden/Embiid/Durant wouldn't stand a chance. We can't contain Embiid as is, I'd argue he is our toughest single challenge compared to any other player in the NBA.. nevermind adding Durant to that mix.

Our title window shrinks drastically if that powerhouse forms in the East.

[Who]

The Mock trade with Philly has Durant for Maxey/Harris/Thybulle and 2027/29 first rounders. I have to think there will be better offers elsewhere but my original question stands.

IF the Nets take that trade that clearly makes Philly better then us - and don't start with the assumption there will be injuries.. assume full strength for both the 76ers and Celtics.

Does that force our hand to trade Brown so the trade doesn't happen? A Celtics team with Durant is superior than the currently constructed Philly team, our existing team as is is better than the currently constructed Philly team.. Our team however as is against a team of Harden/Embiid/Durant wouldn't stand a chance. We can't contain Embiid as is, I'd argue he is our toughest single challenge compared to any other player in the NBA.. never mind adding Durant to that mix.

Our title window shrinks drastically if that powerhouse forms in the East.

Man that team would be nasty good. They even have two good starting pieces to put next to that trio in Tucker and Melton.

G: Melton
G: Harden
F: Durant
F: PJ Tucker
C: Embiid

That is the Champions right there ... well, if ... they can stay healthy.

[Vermont Green]

The Mock trade with Philly has Durant for Maxey/Harris/Thybulle and 2027/29 first rounders. I have to think there will be better offers elsewhere but my original question stands.

IF the Nets take that trade that clearly makes Philly better then us - and don't start with the assumption there will be injuries.. assume full strength for both the 76ers and Celtics.

Does that force our hand to trade Brown so the trade doesn't happen? A Celtics team with Durant is superior than the currently constructed Philly team, our existing team as is is better than the currently constructed Philly team.. Our team however as is against a team of Harden/Embiid/Durant wouldn't stand a chance. We can't contain Embiid as is, I'd argue he is our toughest single challenge compared to any other player in the NBA.. never mind adding Durant to that mix.

Our title window shrinks drastically if that powerhouse forms in the East.

I agree that this trade would be good for Philly.  It would be a team with extreme injury history and risk but healthy, Embiid, Harden, Durant would be very strong.

But I don't buy that this trade has any chance of happening.  No way would I worry about trying to preempt it by trading Brown.  And if BKN came to us and said if you don't give us Brown and Smart plus picks, we are going to do the trade with PHI, I would just say fine, do the trade, and then we can take our chances that that team is never healthy.

[spikelovetheCelts]

I still don’t believe there is a better player available to them than Brown. Any other team that could offer someone better than Brown wouldn’t be left with enough for Durant to want to go there to compete for a championship.

The picks from wherever he goes will probably not be lottery picks for as long as he’s there. Durant would elevate any team he goes to. He’d make a good team a contender. He’d make a contender the favorite. But he’s not looking to make a fringe playoff team a 4-seed.

If Nets are going all in on a rebuild, I don’t know how they send Durant to the team of his choosing and get more than Brown, White, and picks.

Ingram?

Interesting question, Ingram or Brown, who has more value?  I suspect that Brown has more value right now, I personally value Brown a little higher than Ingram.  He was a key part of a finals team and that tends to produce some recency bias.  He has more physicality than Ingram.  But at worst, Ingram is right there with Brown.  If BKN would take Brown, I suspect they would be happy with Ingram also.  NOP has all their picks (or swaps for better picks) plus one from LAL and a couple from MIL.  They could put a good package together if they wanted to.  It would make some sense.  Durant and Williamson fit together better in my opinion than Durant and Tatum.

I think NO is the right place for Durant. I don't think the Celtics are going to mess with the chemistry of this Finals team. Malcom And Dano is all we need.

[Celtics2021]

The Mock trade with Philly has Durant for Maxey/Harris/Thybulle and 2027/29 first rounders. I have to think there will be better offers elsewhere but my original question stands.

IF the Nets take that trade that clearly makes Philly better then us - and don't start with the assumption there will be injuries.. assume full strength for both the 76ers and Celtics.

Does that force our hand to trade Brown so the trade doesn't happen? A Celtics team with Durant is superior than the currently constructed Philly team, our existing team as is is better than the currently constructed Philly team.. Our team however as is against a team of Harden/Embiid/Durant wouldn't stand a chance. We can't contain Embiid as is, I'd argue he is our toughest single challenge compared to any other player in the NBA.. nevermind adding Durant to that mix.

Our title window shrinks drastically if that powerhouse forms in the East.

Philly already has traded their 2027 1st to Brooklyn, as well as their 2023 and 2025 picks to Brooklyn (now Utah) and OKC.  They can only trade a 2029 pick, and even that has an asterisk because the 2027 pick they owe Brooklyn might not convey until 2028 because of protections on the 2025 pick to OKC, and they can t trade consecutive future 1sts.

[Moranis]

I still don’t believe there is a better player available to them than Brown. Any other team that could offer someone better than Brown wouldn’t be left with enough for Durant to want to go there to compete for a championship.

The picks from wherever he goes will probably not be lottery picks for as long as he’s there. Durant would elevate any team he goes to. He’d make a good team a contender. He’d make a contender the favorite. But he’s not looking to make a fringe playoff team a 4-seed.

If Nets are going all in on a rebuild, I don’t know how they send Durant to the team of his choosing and get more than Brown, White, and picks.

Ingram?

Interesting question, Ingram or Brown, who has more value?  I suspect that Brown has more value right now, I personally value Brown a little higher than Ingram.  He was a key part of a finals team and that tends to produce some recency bias.  He has more physicality than Ingram.  But at worst, Ingram is right there with Brown.  If BKN would take Brown, I suspect they would be happy with Ingram also.  NOP has all their picks (or swaps for better picks) plus one from LAL and a couple from MIL.  They could put a good package together if they wanted to.  It would make some sense.  Durant and Williamson fit together better in my opinion than Durant and Tatum.

Plus they have McCollum and would still have a pretty nice collection of picks because of all the extra picks they own.  I think Brown may have the slight edge because he is a better defender, but Ingram has proven to be a much better distributor and has actually performed as a #1 offensive option, so I think you have a better idea that he can better be the focal point of an offense.  And I do think the rest of the package that New Orleans could offer would be better because of all the picks they have, plus guys like Herb Jones and Jaxson Hayes make a good deal of sense as rebuilding pieces

These are the picks that New Orleans owns (including all of their own, except 25)

23 - swap rights with Lakers
24 - swap rights with Bucks
24 or 25 - Lakers
25 - Bucks
26 - swap rights with Bucks
27 - Bucks

If you are the Nets, what would you prefer

Ingram, Jones, Hayes, Lewis and then let's say any 4 of the 1st's they have

or

Boston's best offer of

Brown, Smart, Grant, 25 1st, 27 1st, 29 1st


It is an interesting experiment, but I do think because of New Orleans, Boston will have to include Smart and at least 2 1st's to eclipse an offer from the Pelicans.  And I know to date the Pelicans haven't put Ingram on the table, but if the Nets came to them with a proposal of what I have above, I think the Pelicans would do it as they'd be a tough team with Graham, McCollum, Durant, Williamson, and Valanciunas as a starting 5 with vets like Nance, Snell, and Temple, and some young guys like Liddell and Murphy and still having enough 1st's to add someone else if they needed to.

[TheBig3]

The Mock trade with Philly has Durant for Maxey/Harris/Thybulle and 2027/29 first rounders. I have to think there will be better offers elsewhere but my original question stands.

IF the Nets take that trade that clearly makes Philly better then us - and don't start with the assumption there will be injuries.. assume full strength for both the 76ers and Celtics.

Does that force our hand to trade Brown so the trade doesn't happen? A Celtics team with Durant is superior than the currently constructed Philly team, our existing team as is is better than the currently constructed Philly team.. Our team however as is against a team of Harden/Embiid/Durant wouldn't stand a chance. We can't contain Embiid as is, I'd argue he is our toughest single challenge compared to any other player in the NBA.. nevermind adding Durant to that mix.

Our title window shrinks drastically if that powerhouse forms in the East.

Can't see they nets handing Durant/Harden a championship after the crap they pulled to get off the team, just from a spite standpoint.

[Vermont Green]

I still don’t believe there is a better player available to them than Brown. Any other team that could offer someone better than Brown wouldn’t be left with enough for Durant to want to go there to compete for a championship.

The picks from wherever he goes will probably not be lottery picks for as long as he’s there. Durant would elevate any team he goes to. He’d make a good team a contender. He’d make a contender the favorite. But he’s not looking to make a fringe playoff team a 4-seed.

If Nets are going all in on a rebuild, I don’t know how they send Durant to the team of his choosing and get more than Brown, White, and picks.

Ingram?

Interesting question, Ingram or Brown, who has more value?  I suspect that Brown has more value right now, I personally value Brown a little higher than Ingram.  He was a key part of a finals team and that tends to produce some recency bias.  He has more physicality than Ingram.  But at worst, Ingram is right there with Brown.  If BKN would take Brown, I suspect they would be happy with Ingram also.  NOP has all their picks (or swaps for better picks) plus one from LAL and a couple from MIL.  They could put a good package together if they wanted to.  It would make some sense.  Durant and Williamson fit together better in my opinion than Durant and Tatum.

I think NO is the right place for Durant. I don't think the Celtics are going to mess with the chemistry of this Finals team. Malcom And Dano is all we need.

NOP does seem to make a lot more sense both for them and for BNK.  People are saying that NOP wouldn't trade Ingram (I'll assume that is true).  It was also reported that Toronto wouldn't trade Scottie Barnes.  But Boston would allegedly trade Brown?  My question is what do they know that we don't?  Why would Boston be willing to give up a superior player to either in Brown but these two teams won't give up lesser players (at least so has been rumored)?

I just find that interesting.  No one knows for sure if any of this is true or not, but it is interesting.  Does NOP really value Ingram more than we may  value Brown?  I would actually be surprised if NOP really has drawn a line at Ingram.  I think trading Ingram for Durant would be a good trade for NOP.  But apparently they see it differently.

[Roy H.]

People are saying that NOP wouldn't trade Ingram (I'll assume that is true).  It was also reported that Toronto wouldn't trade Scottie Barnes.  But Boston would allegedly trade Brown?  My question is what do they know that we don't?  Why would Boston be willing to give up a superior player to either in Brown but these two teams won't give up lesser players (at least so has been rumored)?

I think it's as simple as, Boston is the closest to a title.  Durant could put us over the top.  It's unlikely that Durant would lead the Pelicans to a title, and probably not Toronto, either.  If Toronto could do Durant for Barnes straight up, I think they would, but they'd have to give up other good players in a deal to make salaries work.

[footey]

People are saying that NOP wouldn't trade Ingram (I'll assume that is true).  It was also reported that Toronto wouldn't trade Scottie Barnes.  But Boston would allegedly trade Brown?  My question is what do they know that we don't?  Why would Boston be willing to give up a superior player to either in Brown but these two teams won't give up lesser players (at least so has been rumored)?

I think it's as simple as, Boston is the closest to a title.  Durant could put us over the top.  It's unlikely that Durant would lead the Pelicans to a title, and probably not Toronto, either.  If Toronto could do Durant for Barnes straight up, I think they would, but they'd have to give up other good players in a deal to make salaries work.

I agree. NO (or any team trading for him) would want to get Durant's blessing before pulling trigger, and Durant unlikely to agree to be traded to a team unlikely to compete immediately for championship.

[Roy H.]

“Jaylen Brown is the single best player we’ve heard tied to this thing, so Brooklyn has to keep that alive,” one league executive told Heavy Sports. “I still don’t know how real that is, and, trust me, we’ve been trying to find out for our own sake.

“There may be nothing there at all, or maybe there’s something if Brooklyn gets back to reality with what they’re asking for. But unless they can find another deal for Durant or they work things out with him, a team like Boston is stuck in this — the rumors and the whispers around the league at least — because they’ve got really good players.

“I’m sure Brad (Stevens, president of basketball operations) has talked to Brown and they’re all cool, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t going to be uncomfortable.”

As regards Brown, the question has been floated publicly and around the league as to his feelings on a future with the Celtics beyond the two years remaining on the extension he signed in 2019.

“I think Jaylen IS long term,” this latter source told Heavy. “If they want him long term and they’re going to pay him the contract he deserves, I think he’s all-in on Boston. From everything I’ve been told, Jaylen’s a loyal guy. I know frustration can happen when things aren’t going well, and I think we saw some of that earlier in this past season.

“But when you take a step back and look at things, I think he wants to be there. And any problems that could ever happen with that relationship would probably have to come from him getting the idea that they’re not in on him. And right now I don’t see that from the Celtics. I think they know what they have in Jaylen — now and for the future — and they want to keep that going.

“But, like I said, it’s Kevin **** Durant, and you know Brooklyn is going to want to talk about Jaylen. Even if stuff about trade talks wasn’t getting leaked and reported, anyone with a brain would know that Jaylen’s name is going to come up at some point if they’re talking to Boston.”

https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/kecvin-durant-nets-jaylen-brown-trade/

I'm not buying that there's a legitimate source here, but it's a bit more of what most Celtics fans want to hear.

[Phantom255x]

I still think he's going to stay in BKN, but they'll have a miserable season dealing with the Kyrie/Durant drama, and also Simmons who'll probably also do something (or "get hurt" again)

[GreenEnvy]

I still think he's going to stay in BKN, but they'll have a miserable season dealing with the Kyrie/Durant drama, and also Simmons who'll probably also do something (or "get hurt" again)

Not in LeBron’s NBA. Durant will go where to a team he wants. Kyrie will go to LAL (the only team that wants him) for Westbrook and mediocre picks. Players don’t have to play for a team they don’t want to anymore.

[liam]

I still think he's going to stay in BKN, but they'll have a miserable season dealing with the Kyrie/Durant drama, and also Simmons who'll probably also do something (or "get hurt" again)

Not in LeBron’s NBA. Durant will go where to a team he wants. Kyrie will go to LAL (the only team that wants him) for Westbrook and mediocre picks. Players don’t have to play for a team they don’t want to anymore.

Is there a trade to be made? I think the Pels are the only team that I can see that can pay that king's ransom and still have the pieces to put around Durant.