It feels safe to say with certainty that the Celtics would not include Jayson Tatum in a potential blockbuster trade with Kevin Durant.
However, the three-time All-Star might not be the only player who Boston won’t even consider bringing up at the negotiating table.
At this point, it’s become clear a Celtics package for Durant would be centered around Jaylen Brown, but Brad Stevens and company probably would need to include another impact player in order to pry KD out of Brooklyn. That additional player apparently wouldn’t be Robert Williams III, as NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin on Wednesday reported the young center is “not available.”
The C’s have every reason to be high on Williams, who finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. The 24-year-old was one of Boston’s better players throughout its 2022 playoff run to the NBA Finals despite dealing with a serious nagging injury
If not Williams, one has to imagine the Nets would ask for Marcus Smart. That might come much to the chagrin of Durant, who reportedly has a strong interest in the Celtics largely due to the idea of playing alongside the reigning DPOY.
All of these hypotheticals are nothing more than that, however, as Boston and Brooklyn don’t appear to have anything in motion on a potential Durant trade.
