The Brooklyn Nets don't have much leverage in trade discussions involving Kevin Durant, and the Boston Celtics, among others, should keep this in mind while plotting their path forward.
Durant reportedly told Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend he must choose between him and the tandem of general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash, an ultimatum that further backs the organization into a corner as it figures out how to handle KD's trade request.
Tsai responded by tweeting his support for Brooklyn's front office and coaching staff, while noting he'll act in the best interest of the Nets, and it's fair to wonder whether a Durant trade is inevitable.
If so, the Nets ultimately might need to accept less than what they've been seeking. And Colin Cowherd explained this week on FS1 why that could open the door for a deal with Boston.
"What it shows you is Kevin Durant really wants out. He wants out," Cowherd said. "They couldn't make a trade partner. Not because people don't want Kevin. Miami wants him. Boston wants him. Phoenix wanted him. But they were holding firm on, you know, seven picks and five players. So, to me, I think sometimes you've got to cut your losses.
"I'd go to Boston. If you gave me Jaylen Brown -- a very, very good player -- and I could put Jaylen Brown, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Royce O'Neale, Joe Harris, Patty Mills on the floor next year, that's a playoff team. If Ben Simmons plays, and I think he will, that's a playoff team. Well, that's all you were with Kevin Durant. What were you with Kevin Durant? Two first-round exits and a second-round exit."
Much of the debate involving the Durant-Celtics rumors has centered around whether Boston is better off keeping Brown or pushing for KD. After all, the C's just fell two wins short of an NBA title, bolstered their roster this offseason by adding Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari, and already appear to be in good shape for the foreseeable future. Trading for Durant might upset the apple cart.
But perhaps it's time to look at the scenario from a different angle: Brooklyn's perspective. While the Nets reportedly asked the Celtics to include Brown, Marcus Smart, a rotation player and draft compensation in any package for Durant, there might come a point where Brooklyn is well served accepting Boston's best offer containing Brown. After all, he's the key piece, and trading for a Brown-centric package seemingly beats the alternative of blowing up the front office and coaching staff.
"So, to me, if you get Jaylen Brown and a bench player from the Celtics -- forget about the draft picks, they're not going to play for years. ... If you gave me Jaylen Brown, Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, Royce O'Neale, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, that's a playoff team," Cowherd said. "Well, that's all you've been with Kevin Durant. You keep talking about ceiling stuff with Kevin Durant. All you've been is a first- and second-round out team.
"So, what I'm not going to do is blow up my front office again. You think the best coaches are available? What coach is available now? The good guys are off the market. Ty Lue's not leaving the Clippers to go to this mess. So, you're not going to get a great coach. You're not going to get a great GM. Kevin's 34. Kevin's hurt a lot. Kevin wasn't happy with Steve Kerr, great coach. Kevin wasn't happy with Billy Donovan, who I thought was at least a good coach. And he wasn't happy with Steve Nash, who appears to be a little overwhelmed but is a smart guy, I know him, could get better, like all of us."
All told, the KD saga continues. And it just might end with the Nets having to come down on their asking price, to the benefit of the Celtics or whoever else becomes hell-bent on acquiring the 12-time All-Star.
