By the time Kevin Durant’s tenure with the Brooklyn Nets came to an end in 2022, he was ready to move on and try his luck with a different team.
According to new reporting from Shams Charania, he almost went to the Boston Celtics.
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” per NBACentral, Charania said the Nets rejected a trade package of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and a first-round pick for Durant.
In the end, the Nets said no to Boston but then received a massive haul from the Phoenix Suns instead.
The Brooklyn Nets reportedly rejected a package of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and a first-round pick for Kevin Durant in 2022, per @ShamsCharania
(Via @PatMcAfeeShow / h/t @GormanChristoph ) pic.twitter.com/iquIjo124y
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 3, 2025
Brown and White are two of the most important players in Boston and would have done amazing things for the Nets.
While it hurt to lose Durant, the Nets could have had a bright future with Brown, White, and a first-rounder on board.
They obviously did well with the eventual deal and earned a lot from Phoenix, but they still haven’t recovered from losing Durant and are the 12th team in the East.
The Celtics didn’t need Durant, considering they did just fine without him and are the league’s reigning champions.
Would that success have been possible if they hadn’t had Brown and White?
Durant surely would have provided a lot for the Celtics, but Brown and White have been so vital for their success.
This is one of the many “what if” scenarios that NBA fans will talk about for a long time.
On one hand, it is wild to consider that the Celtics said no to getting Durant.
On the other hand, they are reigning champions, so they clearly made the right choice.
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