Bill Simmons believed that the Boston Celtics’ championship hopes were dashed after the rumors of a Kevin Durant-Jaylen Brown flared up.
“I think the biggest mistake this team made was the KD stuff,” Simmons said on his podcast.
“I just think you’d come out and you’d say, ‘We’re not splitting up this team. We’re gonna build around these two guys. If you read any trade rumor about Tatum or Brown, don’t believe it. These are our guys.’ And they didn’t do it, which makes me think they probably talked to the [Brooklyn] Nets a little bit about Durant and Jaylen Brown, and the Nets leaked it immediately.”
The rumor mills began to churn in the offseason last year around Durant, who wanted out of the Nets and was a better fit with the Celtics, primarily due to his relationship with Jayson Tatum.
While the trade theories surfaced, it also came at the cost of Boston trading Brown in order for it to make it happen — a move that didn’t sit well with the latter. As it turned out, Brown remained with the Celtics, while Durant was one of the blockbuster trades that saw him link up with the Phoenix Suns.
On his part, Simmons put forth an intriguing theory when dissecting the Celtics’ season after they bowed out of the competition with a hard-fought 4-3 loss to the Miami Heat.
Jayson Tatum Wants Jaylen Brown To Sign An Extension With The Celtics
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the Game 7 loss, Jayson Tatum called for the Celtics to offer an extension to Brown, stressing that he needed his teammate in the team’s colors.
“It’s extremely important. He’s one of the best players in the league,” Tatum said. Brown averaged 19.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in the seven-game series against the Heat, and despite his defensive regressions, this season still proved to be an offensive force. His exploits this season saw him make the All-NBA team making him eligible for a supermax deal with the Celtics.
Despite the team falling short of their championship aspirations, Boston would be tempted to run it back with the duo again as they have shown consistency, potential, and, more importantly, the tenacity to go the distance. It will be interesting to see how the Brown contract scenario plays out.
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