Celtics nearly made Kevin Durant trade mistake, could re-visit conversation

When Shams Charania speaks, the NBA world listens. The word of the NBA insider is worth its weight in gold. That is why when he made his latest statement in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, everyone listening had their ears perk up.

The Boston Celtics were in a weird place in the summer of 2022. They had just come off a disappointing NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors. After taking a 2-1 series lead, the Celtics dropped the next three games as they watched Stephen Curry secure his legacy with his first Finals MVP.

After that loss, the Celtics were reportedly willing to explore what was out there for potential upgrades. One name they landed on: Kevin Durant. Charania provided Pat McAfee with the details on his podcast.

"There was a lot of mutual interest between Kevin Durant and the Celtics in the summer of 2022, when he asked for a trade," the NBA insider revealed. "And I know right now you probably hate me saying this, they offered Jaylen Brown, they offered Derrick White, and they offered a first round pick. Brooklyn had said no, and they kept him, and then they ultimately traded him for a haul from Phoenix [Suns]."

That decision could very well have wound up costing the Celtics their championship in 2024. Brown and White both played a big role in securing Boston their 18th banner in franchise history. The four-time All-Star, in particular, was pivotal. Brown secured both Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP on the Celtics' path to a title.

With Charania suggesting earlier this season that the Suns would work together with Durant to send him to a contender in the offseason, could the Celtics still be a potential suitor?

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The Celtics are still favored by many to win this year's NBA Finals. If they do, Boston will certainly not look to reinvent the wheel. However, if they fall short of that goal, perhaps there will be room to tweak the roster.

Brad Stevens will certainly face challenges in navigating his current cap situation. Brown is almost certainly off the table this time around too. Despite that, perhaps there could be interest in Stevens working his magic, with a new ownership group coming in, and stacking the deck in the Celtics' favor once more.