Kevin Durant could be put on the trading block in the near future, but Jalen Rose doesn’t think the Celtics should give the Nets a call if they open the phone lines.
Durant appeared to be committed to Brooklyn when he rescinded his trade request before the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. But concerns about the future of the franchise now are warranted for Durant, who’s without a star running mate following Kyrie Irving’s move to the Dallas Mavericks.
One day after the Irving blockbuster, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported Boston was making calls to Brooklyn to inquire about Durant’s availability. But considering the Celtics almost certainly would need to trade away one of their franchise cornerstones in order to acquire KD, Rose believes Boston shouldn’t enter the Durant sweepstakes.
“The Boston Celtics, they would be foolish to trade Jaylen Brown at this point of his career,” Rose said Tuesday on “Get Up” as transcribed by Audacy. “And (to) break up Jayson Tatum and that duo that a lot of people have been clamoring for them to do the last few years for some odd reason, for Kevin Durant at this point of his career.”
Rose added: “I’m no fool. I know how dominant and great (Durant) is. But at his age, he’s dealt with some injuries over the last couple of years. You don’t trade Jaylen Brown for him if you’re the Celtics.”
Acquiring Durant might feel like somewhat of a conquest for Brad Stevens and company, who seemingly have had the two-time Finals MVP on their radar for years. But a significant investment in KD now might not be worth it like it was in 2016, whereas Brown is only improving with each passing year.
Could Durant help the Celtics contend for championships the next handful of seasons? Absolutely. But with Brown and Tatum leading the way, Boston could be a perennial Finals contender for the next decade-plus.
