There is one scenario in which it makes perfect sense for the Celtics to explore trading Jaylen Brown for Kevin Durant: they're not confident Brown wants to re-sign.
In that case, four years of Durant is preferable to two more years of Brown, regardless of the risks that adding Durant may introduce.
One of the reasons the Nets are reportedly seeking an astronomical package for Durant is the fact that he's signed long-term. It's rare for an all-time great to be available, never mind one who's secured for multiple years.
It's apparent that Brown is miffed about the Durant trade discussions. When news of the Celtics offer leaked Monday, the rising star tweeted three ominous letters: "SMH."
Brown was seemingly shaking his head all the way through the Celtics' NBA Finals run. During the middle of their series against Golden State, he complained to Sports Illustrated about the cold reaction that Celtics fans gave him on draft night … six years ago.
"[Wyc] had to defend, like, 'This is who we're going with. You guys just gonna have to live with it.' And I was like, 'This is crazy,'" Brown said. "It's kind of trended like that my whole career. People in Boston that thought I was a bust, ever since have been kind of waiting to prove themselves right, in a sense, because that's what humans do. But I'm not a bust. I keep getting better every year."
It's not clear what Brown was referencing, considering fans have embraced him since draft night. Prior to this offseason, he was surfaced in trade rumors involving Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis, but that's not a sign of disrespect.
Davis and Leonard were All-NBA talents at the time.
But apparently, Brown views the situation differently. Earlier this summer, he favorited a tweet from "@BantonioClown" saying he's "so disrespected by Celtics fans."
Brown is signed for two more seasons at reasonable rates of $26.6 million and $28.5 million, respectively. He's improved significantly since inking his four-year, $106 million extension in 2019.
In fact, Brown was better than Jayson Tatum throughout the Finals. But as long as Tatum is around, Brown is probably going to be his co-star.
His decision to hire Kanye West's sports agency indicates he may not want to be in the background.
The Celtics can offer Brown a maximum contract, but they can't offer him the frontman status he might crave.
Trading Brown, a budding star in his mid-20s, for Durant is a difficult decision. But the prospect is much easier to swallow if there's no guarantee Brown will stick around.
