The Brooklyn Nets are stuck between keeping their staff members or losing Kevin Durant. Could a trade with the Boston Celtics help Brooklyn move forward in the offseason?
Negotiating during the offseason can become a grueling task for front offices. As coaches start to implement game plans for the regular season, athletes evaluate their value with agents with hopes of making more money. Gaining additional revenue is not always the focus for athletes who want to leave a legacy. Players like Kevin Durant believe winning trumps the cash flow—even if that means relocating for the third time in his career.
That was a big reason why Durant reiterated his trade demands to Nets owner Joe Tsai, according to a new report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Durant isn’t confident in Brooklyn’s direction and wants to be traded unless the Nets part ways with head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks, the report states. Charania also had this to say about the Boston Celtics and their place in Durant’s trade request:
The Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat remain the most significant candidates to acquire Durant, sources said, with Boston’s package centering around All-Star forward Jaylen Brown seen as a viable deal…
Durant has grown close with Boston coach Ime Udoka in recent years after Udoka spent a year with Durant as an assistant in Brooklyn and later with Team USA for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Considering all of his goals, Durant could find what he’s looking for with the Boston Celtics.
1. Kevin Durant wants a coach he can trust.
Lack of trust in Brooklyn’s coaching staff caused the Nets All-Star forward to voice his concerns about the team’s projected direction. After meeting with Tsai over the weekend, the Nets organization is more than aware that Durant does not want to be involved with the team if Nash and Marks are calling the shots. Durant has stated that his lack of faith in the leadership led him to request a trade in June.
A player’s strong desire to change teams could jeopardize any chance of having a successful season. Instances like the Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia last year proved this to be true. While trade discussions continue, the Brooklyn Nets must evaluate all potential trade packages that come their way—including a package from the Boston Celtics.
Trust has been something that head coach Ime Ukoda earned from his players last season. Without it, the Celtics would not have made it to the NBA Finals, proving to the league that they were the best team in the Eastern Conference last season. Joining a team with positive momentum would be a dream for the twelve-time All-Star.