"Until it actually happens, I don’t believe it" - Defensive Player of the Year was not distressed on Kevin Durant trade rumors to Celtics
Boston Celtics defensive stalwart Marcus Smart spoke about Kevin Durant trade rumors as Durant was heavily linked to the Celtics. Durant and the Brooklyn Nets were swept in the first round of the postseason by the Celtics.
In an interview with The Athletic, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year spoke about how he was not bothered by all the trade talks. Smart said he doesn't really pay much attention to such chatter until something really does come to fruition:
"For someone who’s always talked about in trade talks, I didn’t really pay too much mind to that. Until it actually happens, I don’t believe it. We can sit here and say this person said this, but we don’t even know who said it.
"It’s like a telephone game. By the time it gets back to you, you don’t know what changed and who said what. Until it actually happens, I try to pay trade rumors no mind.
Smart and the Celtics are coming off an appearance in the NBA Finals. They lost to the Golden State Warriors despite leading the series 2-1.
Nevertheless, the guard and his teammates had an incredible campaign. Especially after starting the year with rumors of unrest between the players and coach Ime Udoka. They turned all the rumors into the best defense in the league, which was an underpinning factor in their run to the finals.
Marcus Smart believes last year’s Celtics “left a little bit on the table.”
After coming up just short in the NBA Finals, he wanted the opportunity to win with this core.
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Why did Kevin Durant not end up with the Boston Celtics?
Despite reaching the finals and winning two games, the Boston Celtics attempted to trade for Kevin Durant. The two-time champion submitted a trade request right at the start of free agency. The Celtics joined the sweepstakes late in the proceedings.
According to many reports, the Celtics offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and draft capital for Durant. However, this was rejected by the Brooklyn Nets. They wanted either Jayson Tatum or Marcus Smart added to the package alongside Brown and draft picks.
@ShamCharania Brooklyn countered with a package centered around Brown, but wanted reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and additional pieces in order for Boston to land the 12-time All-Star.
More from @ShamsCharania in his Inside Pass:
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The Nets did not want to strengthen their rivals in the same conference. The Celtics never entertained Brooklyn's demands for Kevin Durant. The Celtics' initial offer was arguably the best package that the Nets were going to receive. They could have had an All-Star in Brown who is about to hit his physical peak.
After a while and with no trade in sight, the Nets and Durant came to an accord to run it back. This was always going to be a difficult trade as no player of Durant's magnitude had ever been traded before. This made it hard to measure the value of Kevin Durant.