The Celtics reportedly offered Jaylen Brown to the Nets as part of a trade package for Kevin Durant.
But did they really offer him?
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Monday, citing sources, that Boston offered Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick, which Brooklyn rejected and countered by asking for Brown, Marcus Smart, draft picks and potentially one more rotation player in any proposal for Durant.
A source disputed the Celtics' reported offer to Heavy.com's Steve Bulpett, though, and perhaps it's worth considering the general nature of trade negotiations when assessing Brown's future in Boston.
"You may ask a team what they think of a certain one of your players, and the next thing you know they're telling someone you offered him," an NBA general manager told Heavy.com. "You didn't, but that's how this thing works sometimes. It sucks -- for you and for the player involved -- but it's the way it is."
In other words, the Celtics theoretically could have floated Brown's name, simply to gauge the Nets' interest in the 25-year-old swingman as they do their own homework on Durant. And Brooklyn, in turn, could have leaked that information in an effort to drive up its asking price across the NBA.
Semantics matter, of course. Just like the timeframe of the reported discussions matters. Unfortunately for the Celtics, the reports linking them to Durant might've put them between a rock and a hard place with Brown, a franchise cornerstone who's no stranger to hearing his name tossed around in trade rumors.
Brown on Monday sent out a rather ambiguous tweet that could be interpreted as frustration. A subsequent report indicated Brown loves playing in Boston, but again, we've reached a point where everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
