Jalen Rose Slams Jaylen Brown’s ‘Insane’ Kevin Durant Trade Rumors

Celtics

JB for KD rumors are flying again after comments from Stephen A. Smith.

Stephen A. Smith told viewers to keep their eyes out for a possible Jaylen Brown-for-Kevin Durant trade earlier this week on ESPN’s “First Take.”

The Celtics reportedly offered Brown in exchange for Durant in trade talks that fell apart this summer. Speculation around a potential deal had largely died down as the Celtics got off to a flying start en route to the NBA’s best record.

But now, with Smith’s comments and the Nets’ decision to deal Kyrie Irving with Dallas, Durant’s future with Brooklyn looks more uncertain than it has in recent months.

Would Boston be the right destination for Durant? Not if it means giving up on Brown, said ESPN basketball analyst Jalen Rose on “Get Up!” on Tuesday morning.

“Boston Celtics, they would be foolish to trade Jaylen Brown at this point in his career,” Rose said. “And [to] breaking up Jayson Tatum and that duet that a lot of people have been asking for for a few years for some weird reason, for Kevin Durant at this point in his career.

Jalen Rose: “[The Celtics] would be foolish to trade Jaylen Brown at this point in his career and separate Jayson Tatum and this duo.”

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– The Celtics fan page (@TheCelticsFP) February 7, 2023

The argument for making the trade would be that Durant could be the piece that puts Boston on top in its quest for its 18th NBA championship.

But the Celtics would have to give up a 26-year-old All-Star in exchange for the aging superstar. It’s too high a price, Rose said.

” I’m not fooled. I know how dominating and awesome [Durant] is,” Rose said. “But at his age, he’s had a few injuries in the last couple of years. You don’t trade Jaylen Brown for him if you’re the Celtics.

The deadline for trade is Thursday. Durant has been out for nearly a month, since Jan. 8, with a sprained MCL.

He’s averaging 29.7 points per game and was an All-Star starter along with Jayson Tatum. But, his MCL issues date back to 2017 and he missed the entire 2019-20 season with a torn Achilles tendon.

His recent injury history shows that a healthy playoff run is far from a guarantee.