Kevin Durant is today a member of the Phoenix Suns, but he could well have been playing for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics were one of the teams interested in Durant when he had requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets in the 2022 offseason.
The Nets reportedly rejected a huge offer from the Celtics back then, and we now seemingly know what it was. NBA insider Shams Charania shared the package that the Celtics had put together for Durant on “The Pat McAfee Show,” and it was quite something.
“There was a lot of mutual interest between Kevin Durant and the Celtics in the summer of ’22, when he asked for a trade,” Charania said on The Pat McAfee Show, via Chris Gorman on X. “I know right now, you probably hate me saying this, they offered Jaylen Brown, they offered Derrick White, they offered a first-round pick. Brooklyn had said no, and they kept him, and they ultimately traded him for a haul from Phoenix.”
“…they[Celtics] offered Jaylen Brown, they offered Derrick White, and a 1st round pick for KD…”
-Shams Charnania[@ShamsCharania] via The Pat McAfee Show🔥🔥🔥
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Interesting….#NBA pic.twitter.com/zhMAsPYmtD— Chris Gorman (@GormanChristoph) April 2, 2025
That would have been an excellent haul for Durant. Brown has gone on to win Finals MVP for the Celtics while White has established himself as one of the better two-way guards in the NBA.
The Nets, however, didn’t feel that Brown, White and a first-round pick were enough for a player of Durant’s calibre. They held on to him, and the future Hall of Famer would later rescind his trade request.
Quinn Harris-Imagn Images
Durant wouldn’t be with the Nets for much longer, though. He was traded to the Suns along with T. J. Warren for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029) and a 2028 first-round pick swap in Feb. 2023. They also received two second-round picks (2028, 2029) from the Milwaukee Bucks in the deal.
Would the Nets have been better off accepting the Celtics’ offer? Well, they’d have gotten better players from the Celtics but not as many draft picks. It just comes down to preference at the end of the day.
Related: Nick Wright Shockingly Links Kevin Durant to Eastern Conference Contender