Brooklyn Nets small forward Kevin Durant could be one of the hottest commodities on the trade market in the 2022 NBA offseason. The Nets may not have shown a strong indication that they are planning to trade Durant, but if they fail to bring Kyrie Irving back in the 2022 NBA free agency, there's a strong chance for KD to demand a trade.
Once he expresses his desire to leave, the Nets would be left with no choice but to listen to offers for Durant on the trade market.
Proposed Celtics-Nets Trade Centered On Kevin Durant
Durant may already be 33, but once he becomes officially available on the trading block, several aspiring contenders will surely be lining up to get his service. One of Durant's most intriguing landing spots should he decide to leave the Nets is the Boston Celtics.
In a recent article, James Piercey of NBA Analysis Network came up with a hypothetical blockbuster trade idea to pair Durant with Jayson Tatum in Beantown.
In the proposed trade scenario, the Celtics would be sending a trade package that includes Jaylen Brown and Al Horford to the Nets in exchange for Durant.
Why Celtics Would Make The Trade
It remains unknown if the Celtics have any plan to break up their young superstar duo of Brown and Tatum in the 2022 NBA offseason. They are focused on dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the NBA championship title in the 2021-22 NBA season.
As Piercey noted, the Celtics would only consider trading Brown for Durant if they get eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
"If the Celtics defeat the defending champions, chances are, they probably won’t make any major moves this summer. If they don’t, there could be chatter. A second-round exit feels like a low bar for this Celtics team. If they decided that the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown pairing had hit a ceiling, who knows if they might entertain something more radical."Kevin Durant Teams Up With Jayson Tatum
Leaving the Nets for the Celtics would make a lot of sense for Durant, especially if Irving ends up signing with another team in the 2022 NBA free agency. Instead of staying in Brooklyn, joining forces with Tatum in Boston would give Durant a better chance of returning to the NBA Finals and capturing his third Larry O'Brien Trophy in the 2022-23 NBA season.
Durant shouldn't have a hard time making himself fit with Tatum on the Celtics. In the years he spent with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors, Durant has learned to efficiently co-exist with ball-dominant superstars like Tatum.
Proposed Trade A No-Brainer For Nets
The proposed blockbuster deal with the Celtics would be a no-brainer for the Nets, especially if Durant is no longer interested in staying with the team. Instead of keeping a disgruntled 33-year-old superstar on their roster, the suggested trade would enable them to swap for a 25-year-old All-Star in Brown. The Nets could immediately make Brown the centerpiece of the next title-contending team that they will try to build in Brooklyn.
Horford may only be included in the deal for salary-matching purposes, but if they decide to remain competitive with Brown as their main man, he would be an excellent reinforcement to the Nets' frontcourt.
]]>The Inquisitr
