After the Boston Celtics joined the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, Jaylen Brown once again found his name being touted in trade rumors.
The initial package offered by the Celtics, as reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, included Brown, Derrick White and some draft capital.
“The Celtics offered Brown, guard Derrick White and a draft pick to the Nets for Durant, sources said,” Charania wrote.
Full details on a possible Celtics-Nets mega deal, the latest on Donovan Mitchell and more on Inside Pass: theathletic.com/3446562/2022/0…
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Sources: The Boston Celtics have offered a Jaylen Brown package to the Nets for Kevin Durant, which Brooklyn turned down and countered. Full details on a potential Celtics-Nets mega-deal, the latest on Donovan Mitchell and more on Inside Pass: theathletic.com/3446562/2022/0…
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Charania added that the Nets demanded Marcus Smart, whom the Celtics were hesitant to add. However, Boston is reviewing all its options.
In response to the trade rumors, Brown tweeted “Smh.”
Brown has been listed as a trade piece for the Celtics on several occasions. In 2018, Brown could have been an important part of a trade that would have brought Kawhi Leonard to Boston.
However, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reported that the Celtics kept Brown. aware of your business prospects:
A league source said Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and coach Ime Udoka communicate with Brown “all the time” and have kept him informed, adding that Brown appears to understand the situation. .
Himmelsbach also wrote that the league source said there is currently no traction between Boston and Brooklyn on a Durant trade.
How would the Boston Celtics fare without Brown?
While the Celtics have significantly deepened their roster without giving up too much, Brown’s departure wouldn’t necessarily affect their championship prospects.
Brown was unequivocally the Celtics’ best player in the NBA Finals, but much of that can be attributed to how the Warriors defended Jayson Tatum. Brown’s position with Boston will largely be playing second fiddle to Tatum.
However, the pecking order in the Celtics’ lineup has Tatum in first place, followed by Brown and Smart, respectively. So if the Celtics were to trade Brown and Smart for Durant, Brown would likely become the No. 1 choice in a franchise.
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Smart is likely to stay in the same spot, assuming Ben Simmons stays with the Nets. Tatum would drop down one spot in the pecking order and the Celtics would become the undisputed title favorites.
Depth or unstoppable offense could offset defensive voids created.
The only setback for the Celtics would be trading a homegrown big three and mortgaging their entire future for one, possibly two, NBA championships.
Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein
