More developments on what is shaping up to be a busy day in the Kevin Durant – Brooklyn Nets trade rumor saga: per SNY’s Ian Begley, the Brooklyn Nets star now sees the Boston Celtics as “a desired landing spot” for a potential trade. Rumored recently to have been in talks with the Nets to trade Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown to Brooklyn for KD, a potential sticking point that came up in those talks as portrayed was the Nets’ ask for Boston veteran point guard Marcus Smart.
But per the SNY reporter, Durant “would like to play with Boston’s Marcus Smart if he is traded to the Celtics.” In the wider sphere of Celtics media and in Begley’s own reporting, there has been increased pessimism any deal gets done between the two teams given the Nets’ sky-high asks for the aging and often difficult star forward.
Durant’s apparent ultimatum to move Nets GM Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash are not likely to endear him to the front offices of any team that might legitimately be considering a trade for him — and there has been pushback that such a trade was even on the table for Boston.
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It’s important to note that while Durant may indeed be increasingly open to new destinations after asking out and getting little traction, he has little in the way of leverage to force the situation.
And with Boston already the odds-on favorite to win the 2023 NBA title, there is little pressure for the Celtics to undertake what could be an incredibly risky and volatile future — one they already know well how it could end.
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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire