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Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant and his trade request has been the talk of the town in the NBA this summer. In a big twist, last year's finalists, the Boston Celtics, entered the race for his signature.
The two-time champion submitted his request after free agency opened as he touted the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns as his preferred landing spots.
However, according to Ian Begley of SNYTV, the Celtics have emerged as Durant's preferred destination over the Heat and the Suns. Begley wrote that KD would love to play alongside the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart. However, there has been no update on the progress of a potential deal.
"Durant sees Boston as a desired landing spot, per people familiar with the matter. Durant also would like to play with Boston’s Marcus Smart if he is traded to the Celtics, per people familiar with the matter.
"It is unknown if Boston and Brooklyn have made progress on a deal. SNY reported last week that there had been pessimism about a Durant trade being completed in the near future," Begley wrote.
The likelihood of the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns doing a deal for KD is slim to none as the latter cannot trade Deandre Ayton until January next year. The former, on the other hand, cannot part ways with Bam Adebayo. It is due to the fact that the Nets cannot acquire two players on designated rookie extensions via trade.
The Brooklyn Nets have made it clear that they want at least one All-Star in return for KD. With four years left on the Slim Reaper's contract, the franchise holds all the leverage.
Likely trade package by the Boston Celtics for Kevin Durant
The Brooklyn Nets, earlier this summer, rebuffed the reported package that the Boston Celtics put together for Kevin Durant. The deal involved Jaylen Brown and Derrick White alongside draft capital heading to Brooklyn for the two-time Finals MVP.
The Nets responded by wanting Marcus Smart added to the deal alongside Jaylen Brown. However, recent reports say that the Nets wanted Brown and Jayson Tatum in return for KD.
The likelihood of the Celtics parting ways with both Tatum and Brown is slim to none.
While the Nets are getting an All-Star (Brown), the franchise should be asking for either Smart or Robert Williams III along with draft capital. Trading KD to a rival in the same conference whilst not weakening them, at the very least defensively, is a bad deal for the Brooklyn Nets.
The Boston Celtics would still have KD, Tatum and Marcus Smart on their roster, while the Nets would be getting a young All-Star in Brown alongside one of the best rim protectors in the league in Robert Williams III. This would be the closest to the deal being a win-win for both franchises.
