As the offseason ramps towards its final month, there are so many questions around the league that people want to be answered before they can commit to starting making picks for next season. One of the biggest wildcards right now is the Brooklyn Nets. Theoretically, they have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on a roster that added pieces like TJ Warren and Royce O’Neal, with players like Joe Harris and Ben Simmons returning.
Sadly, the Nets may never get to field this new-look team with the trade request handed in by Durant. Irving has expressed his desire to leave the team when he becomes a free agent next season, but the Los Angeles Lakers trying to trade for him right now.
Durant’s trade is the most significant question mark in the offseason right now, with many teams periodically being linked to the scoring machine. The most prominent rumors feature the Boston Celtics, one of the few teams with the assets to try and trade for KD. A package with Jaylen Brown as its centerpiece has been rumored, but Celtics insider Adam Himmelsbach has revealed the Nets and Celtics are not close to agreeing on any trade for KD yet.
“League sources have insisted for weeks that the Celtics have not had any real discussions of substance with the Nets about Kevin Durant, and they’ve communicated with Jaylen Brown about the situation frequently.”
– @AdamHimmelsbach pic.twitter.com/vUWt6c3evc
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 21, 2022
“League sources have insisted for weeks the Celtics have not had any real discussions of substance with the Nets about Durant, and they’ve communicated with Brown about the situation frequently.” (h/t Boston Globe)
Losing Brown and more players will be a massive blow to the Celtics that just made the NBA Finals, but adding a scorer like Kevin Durant next to Jayson Tatum seems like an unreal combination.
Even though KD has 4 years on his contract currently, it seems he will ultimately end up getting the trade that he wants. Whether it is to his preferred destination remains to be seen, but nobody can really force KD to play for a team that he doesn’t want to play for.
