The Brooklyn Nets made an interesting decision during the 2022-23 season when they traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns after he requested a trade for the second time in eight months. While Brooklyn received a haul from the Suns in exchange for Durant, there were those who criticized the Nets for not taking a package from the Boston Celtics centered around Jaylen Brown.
"There was a lot of mutual interest between Kevin Durant and the Celtics in the summer of 2022 when he asked for a trade," ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said on Apr. 2 during a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" when discussing potential landing spots for Durant if he is ultimately traded from Phoenix this offseason. Durant and the Suns seem to be headed for a parting of ways this summer after what has been a disaster of a year this season.
"They (the Celtics) offered Jaylen Brown, they offered Derrick white, they offered a first-round pick," Charania continued. "Brooklyn had said no, and they kept him. Then, they ultimately traded him for a haul from Phoenix." As a reminder, the Nets traded Durant and TJ Warren to the Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and five first-round picks from 2023 to 2029.
The 2023 pick (21st overall) turned into Noah Clowney and Brooklyn had the rest of the picks to look forward before they traded some of Phoenix's picks to the Houston Rockets in exchange for their own picks that they lost in the deal that brought James Harden from Houston to the Nets. Also, Brooklyn was able to trade Bridges to the New York Knicks for six first-round picks prior to the beginning of this season.
As Charania reported during the summer of 2022, the Nets refused a trade package from the Celtics surrounded around Brown, White, and a draft pick without specifying whether the pick was of first-round value until his appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show." In Charania's 2022 reporting, he added that Brooklyn countered Boston's trade proposal by asking for Brown, Marcus Smart (who was coming off winning Defensive Player of the Year, draft picks and "potentially" one more rotation player.
It seems like the reaction from some in the Nets fanbase have been critical of the franchise choosing to send Durant to ...
