Kevin Durant never ended up going anywhere, and it seems it never actually came close. But technically, the Boston Celtics were the closest.

That’s according to top NBA insider Shams Charania, who reiterated his previous reporting on the Celtics and Nets’ trade discussions involving Durant when he joined the Rich Eisen Show. You can watch the full interview above.

As part of the interview, Charania laid out a previous Durant offer from Boston to Brooklyn that had been reported. Charania seems to believe that this was the Celtics’ final offer, and the best offer of any team.

“The best offer, I’m told, that the Nets had on the table was from the Celtics: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a first-round pick,” Charania said. “There’s a price tag that the Nets had put forth on Kevin Durant — you could say they might have been even asking for something that they know was never going to be attainable anyway, right? – but at the end of the day, when you have a guy that’s a 12-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP, going to go down in the Hall of Fame, one of the top-15 … best players ever, you have a high asking price.

“That price was never going to be met, and I think both sides understood that this is the best opportunity to win a championship.”

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

The Celtics clearly reversed course on the idea of trading Jaylen Brown in the first place, recently, when they sent a series of social media posts appearing to commit to Brown and Tatum as their lead duo for the 2022-23 season.

Brown is only signed through the next two seasons, though, and rumors have persisted that he wants to play where he can be the No. 1 star on the team. That won’t happen as long as Tatum is in a Celtics uniform, which barring a trade is for the next four years.

Ideally, Brown accepts his role on the court and rejects any notion of labels or anything like that. But unfortunately, that could cut into his earning potential. Tatum’s mere presence could block Brown from achieving accolades like the All-NBA Team, which would ultimately put more money in his wallet, one way or another.

So, it’s fair to wonder if this whole saga is done. But it looks like Durant-for-Brown is certainly dead. Or is it? Sorry, probably is.

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. You can also email him at [email protected].