That pesky Celtics-Kevin Durant rumor is picking up steam again

If you’re feeling déjà vu reading this article, it’s because this is not the first time a trade rumor involving the Boston Celtics, Kevin Durant, and Jaylen Brown has popped up. But it’s come roaring back, thanks to one of the loudest voices in Hot Take World.

That would be Stephen A. Smith, who apparently heard enough about the C’s and Durant to revive a trade rumor that only seems more outrageous now than it did last year. But it makes sense to wonder out loud whether Durant was about to be traded out of Brooklyn in the first place, in the wake of Kyrie Irving’s latest dramatic exit.

“By the way, I’m hearing that [Durant]’s on the verge of potentially being moved out, as we’ve all been speculating about that, that he may be moved,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take on Monday. “They’re on the phone. I’m hearing Boston has been making some calls. Keep your eye on that – Jaylen Brown. Keep your eye on that.”

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  Apr 25, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the fourth quarter of game four of the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs at Barclays Center. The Celtics defeated the Nets 116-112 to win the best of seven series 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

• Quick refresher: last July, Shams Charania reported at The Athletic that the Celtics had offered a trade package to the Nets for Durant that involved Brown and other top assets. Assuming the reported nature of the trade talks are accurate, the C’s ultimately balked at the Nets’ demands. So Stephen A certainly isn’t the only prominent basketball media figure to even throw this out there.

  SAS certainly isn’t a real reporter at this stage of his career, but he’s got to remain well-connected. And he did invoke top NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski after revealing what he’d heard about the Celtics possibly STILL working on a potential Brown/Durant trade.

  It doesn’t seem like the type of deal the Celtics need to make, right? Durant, 34, remains one of the league’s elite scorers when healthy, but he’s currently on the shelf with a sprained MCL, and hasn’t played more than 55 games in a season since 2019. He missed the entire 2019-20 campaign with an Achilles injury.

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  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 20: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets disputes a call during the second quarter of Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 20, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• Aaaaand there’s also the money. Durant will be due the following salaries in each of the next three seasons: $46.4 million, $49.8M, $53.2M. It’s fair to wonder whether he can stay healthy for a full season and through the playoffs in the first place and, when on the court, continue to deliver the same level of production into his mid-30s.

  If the Celtics want to even approach that kind of money for one player not named Jayson Tatum, shouldn’t they consider giving it to Brown? But there’s also his curious case. Does he want to stay in Boston long-term, or does he feel a desire to step out of Tatum’s shadow and be the No. 1 star on a new team? That’s what he would be in Brooklyn if he were traded for Durant.

  Brown himself had a curt dismissal of the rumors a year ago, and subsequent reports indicated he’s still happy here.

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  Nov 24, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots against Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

• I’ll tell you who firmly does NOT believe the Durant rumor, and didn’t before, either: the Sports Hub’s own James Stewart, producer of Felger and Mazz, who said last summer he believes Durant doesn’t want to come to Boston, Tatum doesn’t want to play with Durant, and the whole thing could be Kyrie Irving pulling some kind of strings in the media. Which, let’s be honest, is annoyingly plausible with that guy.

  Whatever the case, the rumors continue to persist. It’s like a fungus. Refuses to go away. It could ultimately come down to what Brown wants, and if he truly does want to be The Man on another team, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens should look into trading him.

  It just doesn’t seem all that realistic that Durant would be the guy coming to Boston, as much as the media folk want to insist it’s a real thing.

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  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.