“Nobody’s gonna meet that asking price, even for Kevin bleepin’ Durant” - Skip Bayless believes the Brooklyn Nets won’t entertain the Celtics’ offer until they include 3x All-Star
Kevin Durant could be traded to the Boston Celtics this summer. According to reports, the Celtics have offered the Brooklyn Nets a trade package for Durant. However, the Nets counterofferred that.
The Nets' asking price for Durant is way too high. Even though he is a fantastic player, many NBA teams are unwilling to give up their critical pieces for him.
Skip Bayless doesn't think the Nets will take the Celtics seriously unless they include Jayson Tatum in the trade package:
"I don't think the Nets are even going to open up discussions here unless you substitute in the package JT for JB, as in you put Jayson Tatum in there," Bayless said.
The Celtics offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a first-round draft pick for Durant, which wasn't enough for the Nets. However, adding Tatum to the mix may be too much for the Celtics.
Brooklyn Nets may not be trying to trade Kevin Durant
There have been reports that the Brooklyn Nets may keep Durant next season. The Nets intend to keep both Durant and Kyrie Irving if they don't find a suitable trade package.
Jayson Tatum speaks on KD trade rumors: "I love our team."
"I love Tatum and everything that comes out of his mouth is right on point, and perfectly thought out...But I don't think Brooklyn will entertain this trade unless they substitute JT for JB." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/2O9V7qEIoU
However, getting the correct package will be difficult since their asking price for Durant is high. Skip Bayless spoke about this and how unlikely it is for the Nets to trade the 12-time All-Star to another team. Bayless said:
"Nobody that they spoke to even believes the Nets are even going to think about trading Kevin Durant.
"They are 'honoring' his trade request by saying, 'Hey, we're out there beating the bushes for you,' but their asking price is obviously absurdly high, and it's so high that they know that nobody is going to meet that asking price, even for Kevin bleepin' Durant."
Rudy Gobert's trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves set the bar high. The Utah Jazz received several players and four first-round picks for the defensive specialist, so the Nets are also trying to get multiple draft picks.
Trading Jayson Tatum for Kevin Durant may be too much
Jayson Tatum is a fantastic player. He is only 24 years old and has already led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals. The three-time All-Star had a disappointing series.
However, Tatum is still a great player with a bright future. He's played for the Celtics for five years and his contract runs through 2026.
Jayson Tatum on rumors of #Celtics interest on Kevin Durant #Nets
He like the Celtics as they are https://t.co/6VnGZNh98d
Considering his talent and consistent improvement, Tatum's contract is one of the best in the league. He was paid only $28.1 million last season while averaging 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Trading him for Kevin Durant doesn't make much sense. Durant is a better player, but he is also 34. Durant also frequently misses games due to injuries.
Finally, the Celtics have no guarantee that the two-time NBA champion wouldn't request another trade if things go south.