Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have emerged as one of the top pairings in Boston Celtics history. However, the championship-winning duo would not have had the opportunity if not for a Brooklyn Nets decision.
After Kevin Durant requested a trade during the 2022 offseason, the Nets rejected a Celtics offer of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a first-round pick, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Boston was coming off a finals loss to the Golden State Warriors and seemed convinced Durant could put them over the top. Meanwhile, Durant was seeking a change of scenery after James Harden forced a trade and the Celtics swept the Nets in the first round of the playoffs.
Evaluating the Nets’ decision to pass on Jaylen Brown trade offer for Kevin Durant
With the Nets holding out for a godfather offer, Durant rescinded his trade request and began the 2022-23 season in Brooklyn. The team had success early on, posting an 18-2 stretch midway through the year.
However, an MCL sprain sidelined Durant for an extended period, and Kyrie Irving requested a trade at the deadline after the Nets refused to offer him a fully guaranteed max contract extension. Brooklyn dealt the All-Star guard to the Dallas Mavericks, after which Durant re-initiated his trade request.
The Nets traded Durant to the Phoenix Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks, one first-round pick swap and two second-round picks. After flipping Bridges this summer, Brooklyn grew its Durant return to Johnson, Ziaire Williams, nine first-round picks (one of which was used to select Noah Clowney in 2023), two first-round pick swaps and four second-round picks.
Given the historic pick volume, it’s difficult to say Brooklyn made a poor decision. Brown and White would have presented elite win-now pieces. However, the Nets were not positioned to contend after the 2022 deadline, with Ben Simmons making over $40 million annually for the following two seasons.
It’s also fair to question whether Brown would have signed an extension with Brooklyn. The Celtics star notably called out Nets owner Joe Tsai for comments he made after suspending Kyrie Irving for posting a link to an antisemitic film at the start of the 2022-23 season.
“[Tsai’s] response was alarming to me,” Brown said. “He didn’t say that the organization was working together to get Kyrie back on the floor. He said that [Kyrie] had more work to do. And our society has more work to do, including Joe Tsai. It’s 2022. It takes 10 minutes of time to see who these business owners and corporations are associated with, who they’re doing business with, who they’re affiliated with.”
It’s unclear whether the comment played a role in Brooklyn passing on Boston’s offer, but it’s safe to say Brown and Tsai were not a match made in heaven.
The Celtics built one of the NBA’s best teams in recent memory, acquiring Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis alongside Tatum, Brown and White. Brown won the 2024 finals MVP, averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists during Boston’s 4-1 victory over the Mavericks.
Meanwhile, the Nets tore down their roster and committed to a rebuild last summer. Following offseason trades with the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets, Brooklyn leads the NBA with 13 tradable first-round picks and $50 million – $65 million in cap space this summer.
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