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The Boston Celtics offered Jaylen Brown in a potential trade for Kevin Durant, according to multiple reports. While Boston’s offer may have been weeks old, it was publicly reported by ESPN and The Athletic in the early hours of Monday morning. The Durant market has been quiet for weeks since he first issued his trade request on June 30, and Boston’s offer could signal that teams will soon start putting their best offers on the table ahead of when training camps open on Sept. 26.
The NBA has more star player movement than any other league. Trade rumors are fun to think about, but fans also have to remember there are real people on the other side of these reports. Professional athletes know getting traded is part of the business, but that doesn’t stop bad feelings from building along the way when your name pops up in potential deals.
After the Celtics’ offer for Durant was reported, Brown sent out a simple tweet acknowledging that he’s heard the rumors. He doesn’t seem thrilled about it.
Smh— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO)
“Smh” of course translates to “shake my head.”
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It would make sense if Brown feels hurt by being included in a trade offer for Durant. He was 19 years old when he was drafted by the Celtics in 2016, and he’s spent his entire career in Boston. The Celtics have built around Jayson Tatum and Brown since drafting both players, and last season they came two wins away from winning the championship against the Golden State Warriors.
Brad Stevens is the lead executive of the Celtics who reportedly offered Brown for Durant. Stevens was Brown’s first head coach before moving to the front office last season. It’s easy to think past the personal relationships when talking about trade rumors, but it will have to be a real consideration for Boston if a deal for Durant falls through and Brown returns to the team.
Brown was arguably the Celtics’ best player during the 2022 NBA Finals against Golden State. He’s under contract for multiple years, and would likely love to run it back with Boston to try to finish the job and win the championship next season. Now that Boston’s trade offer is public, the Celtics will have to mend the relationship with their young star if Durant goes anywhere else.
Brown inherently understands that Durant is one of the 15 greatest players of all-time. He understands Durant is still one of the very best players in the league, and that he’s under contract for longer than he is. Brown is trying to get to the same standing in the league KD is at. He’s also eight years younger. Even if Brown understands why the Celtics might include him in a package for Durant, it’s still a hard pill to swallow.
We wrote that a deal centered around a Durant-for-Brown swap might be the most realistic trade out there for KD. Boston now has some additional pressure to get this done after their offer was reported. If they don’t, it’s fair to wonder if Brown would be returning to the team with hurt feelings, and how that would affect chemistry moving forward.
