NBA Notebook: Celtics players emphasizing focus amid Kevin Durant reports

Grant Williams provided the deepest look yet into the internal discussions Celtics players have had as Kevin Durant trade reports continue to connect Boston to the Nets superstar, namely for a package centered around Jaylen Brown. On Friday, Williams attended the Junior Celtics camp, where he took questions from kids in attendance and helped facilitate shooting competitions. He said he's reached out to Brown to check in through the rumors, emphasizing focus as training camp nears while acknowledging anything can happen. 

"It's something that you do your best to take with a grain of salt. I feel like JB's mature in his mindset and he knows that," Williams said. "It's the league, it's a business. It's one of those things you can't really be discouraged by, because I feel like we love JB. It kind of shows how valuable he is, the fact that for a top-10 player in the world, you're the focal point? I remember back in the day with Al Jefferson and (Kevin Garnett), it's one of those things, you're just like, oh dang, Al Jefferson?'" 

"I think JB's just amazing, I think he's going to come and approach it even better, he's going to take it from a competitive mindset too. So if it doesn't work out, which I don't know whether it is or not, I'm not involved in none of those processes, I think he's going to come back with a chip on his shoulder. I love that, because I know how JB responds and he's going to be very, very, very secure, because he's secure of himself and he's secure of what he's going to be."

Shams Charania first reported in July that the Celtics offered Brown, Derrick White and a first-round pick for Durant in what further reporting characterized as older talks between the two sides. Conversations continued until at least mid-July, with Brown's name likely floated as they shared constructions for a deal. All along nothing has come close, with Durant escalating talks this week by demanding Joe Tsai fire Nets head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks or trade him. That reporting from Charania characterized the Celtics as significant candidates to acquire Durant, while SNY indicated he added Boston to his list of preferred candidates and wants to play alongside Marcus Smart. If Durant wants to come to the Celtics and is angling to maintain their depth once he arrives, this story isn't going away soon. 

The Nets haven't backed down, continuing to demand an unprecedented haul for Durant entering a four-year extension near the top of his game. Williams and Jayson Tatum have commented carefully on the trade topic, both unsure of specifics, making sure to defend Brown while not undermining anything the team could be working on behind the scenes. Tatum emphasized chemistry at his children's camp late last month, telling Boston Sports Journal he expects the team to return in full -- since they don't have any outstanding free agents. Meanwhile, the Celtics have focused on acquiring players to compete for roster spots in training camp.

Boston doesn't have urgency and Brooklyn is in emergency mode, creating an environment where any move by the Celtics can leak publicly to create leverage for the Nets. That makes it harder to monitor a historic opportunity while maintaining what Boston built internally last year. It's fitting that Brad Stevens opened the offseason emphasizing the fragile nature of teams even before Durant's demand. Stevens vowed he'd add to the Celtics without taking anything away. That presumes Boston wouldn't overextend itself to enter the sweepstakes. Robert Williams III is reportedly off the table in talks and the Celtics clearly haven't removed themselves from any level of consideration. The Boston Globe reported this week that Stevens and the front office have kept Brown in the loop regarding any developments. If there weren't any Durant negotiations, there wouldn't be anything to update Brown on. Nothing could happen on the Durant front for the foreseeable future beyond posturing though, so the onus falls on the players to work through that noise. 

"You just have to keep your mind focused on what you can control," Williams said. "I've been in trade rumors in the past, my agent has called me in the past. It's one of those things where it's like we can't control that. So at the end of the day, you've got to go perform for not only the team that's around you, because as a team we're closer than we've ever been, we have (Brown's) back whole-heartedly. Even if nothing happens, even if something does happen, we'll have his back either way. For us, it's just a matter of keeping our heads on the task at hand and that's winning and accomplishing exactly what we didn't get to accomplish last year." 

Any Durant hypothetical comes down to accelerating the Celtics' timeline. Boston is close to a title, but far enough that two seven-game battles in the east could easily swing the other way and a Warriors series became uncompetitive through the final six quarters. Durant would solve many of Boston's offense stagnancy and turnover issues while sacrificing Brown's youth, upside and availability with rest inevitably needed for an aging star like Durant. The benefits of adding him would also be minimized by depth the Celtics sacrifice in a deal. Stevens has been more than willing to trade picks to improve the team now. That's not an issue. 

For all the discussion of Brown's window through his contract's expiration in 2024, the Celtics can offer him a designated veteran extension next summer that allows him to make more than $ 100 million over what rival teams can offer if he believes he could make All-NBA the following season. Boston's advantage is in the ballpark of $64 million if not, a projected $248.8-million contract over five years that would still be available to Brown even if he declined it in an extension to keep free agency available to himself. He'd lose the super max option if traded, with four years and $184.5-million the best he can do if Brown leaves the Celtics. 

The Celtics have taken a risk by entering Durant conversations. That's part of the process Stevens explained in assuming his role of president, making difficult decisions, and it'd be malpractice to not assess the potential of adding a player Williams noted is among the greatest even at 34 years old. It's a significant rumor, Williams said, so players have been aware of what could possibly happen. Grant had addressed the potential he could be traded in an interview last week, saying he takes it as a compliment but prefers to stay with the Celtics. 

Tatum, speaking at Durant's "Point Gods" premiere in New York City, lauded his time with the star on Team USA while expressing his happiness with Boston's roster as it stands. It's not his job, as Tatum's expressed in the past, to enter front office dealings. He proved less willing to discuss the rumors at his camp, as Brown continued his offseason touring Spain before catching a workout with Smart in Los Angeles. The team planned to reconvene following their downtime, vacations and camps whenever they cross paths. 

"We got unfinished business," Tatum said. "We've got a great group, guys that play well together and we almost won the championship. We went to Game 6. When you go through battles with guys, you just become closer. Chemistry is half the battle. You can have a great team, great talent and not necessarily gel well together. You guys saw we figured it out in January and never looked back." 

Williams said one of the definitive differences in the Finals came down to discipline when he appeared on Duncan Robinson's podcast at Summer League. He clarified on Friday that little mistakes they made in those settings, not executing as they planned, could be corrected through their daily offseason habits. 

For this roster that Stevens learned to alter carefully, they're now being tested in their ability to do so through uncertainty.

"Keep your head down," Williams said. "You aren't going to change it one way or the other, so for you it's just a matter of performing exactly how you need to perform, performing exactly how your team needs you to perform and being honest with yourself and embracing any opportunity that arises." 

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week... 

Atlanta: New Hawks guard Dejounte Murray got into a spat with No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, apparently stemming from a collision underneath the basket during Isaiah Thomas' pro-am tournament in Seattle. Murray heckled Banchero for the rest of the game, before taking the feud to Instagram with Murray questioning where Banchero lost his humbleness. Murray has taken an aggressive approach in his summer appearances, pounding the ball off an opponent's head and throwing an alley-oop to himself over Banchero. Beyond taking Trae Young off-ball after an unmatched usage and burden last season, Murray looks like he'll bring some edge to what was a flat Atlanta team. He'll certainly add some suspense to what would've been sleepy regular season matchups between the Hawks and Magic this year. 

Boston: Boston added Denzel Valentine, who played 12 games for Maine last year, to its growing pool of veteran tryouts into training camp.  

The NBA will officially retire Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey league-wide after he died on July 31 at 88. He's the first player to receive that honor, joining Jackie Robinson in MLB and Wayne Gretzky in the NHL. A No. 6 shamrock will be featured on courts next season. 

Brooklyn: It becomes more clear Durant's frustration lies with how the team handled Irving's vaccination status under the New York City mandate and his extension negotiation that followed the season. Tsai, in continued defiance of the star's power, tweeted his support of Nash and Marks after the Charania report. It appears the Durant era in Brooklyn will come to an end as he added Boston and Philadelphia to his list of preferred destinations.

Chicago: Rookie forward Justin Lewis suffered what could be a severe knee injury, according to K.C. Johnson. Lewis had signed a two-way contract with the Bulls after going undrafted out of Marquette. While Lewis got hurt in a team workout, Dalen Terry and Patrick Williams have shown out in pro-am appearances at the Drew League while working out with Paul George. 

Detroit/Golden State: The Pistons will be one of the more powerful players in 2023 free agency after kicking back their cap space one year by acquiring expiring contracts like Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker from the Knicks around the NBA Draft. As Draymond Green tries to leverage a five-year, $164.2-million extension from the Warriors they don't appear prepared to offer, Detroit could become a landing spot if he opts out of his contract next summer. 

Green, a Michigan native, is 32 and declining offensively, but stands among the league's best defenders and is the identity-defining player a young Pistons team needs as they try to form around a physical brand of basketball. They could easily offer him four years totaling roughly $ 124 million at his current salary percentage, a premium to steal him from the Warriors. The deal that may not age well, but he's potentially the swing player it'd take to shift this from a losing to a winning team. The Warriors have signaled they probably won't be able to retain all of Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson and Green. Golden State would face a salary with luxury tax added close to $600-million to keep that team intact. Nemanja Bjelica, who helped the Warriors win the title last year, signed a two-year deal in Turkey.

Houston: Signed Willie Cauley-Stein to a training camp invite, which will force the Rockets to release another play to not surpass the 20-man offseason roster limit. Former Celtics center Bruno Fernando is signed to an Exhibit 10 deal, KJ Martin is on a non-guaranteed deal and demanded a trade, while Marquese Chriss, Sterling Brown and Boban Marjonovic are signed to relatively small contracts coming over in the Christian Wood trade. Second-year center Alperen Sengun, who the Wood trade aimed to give more opportunity, posted 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for Turkey in a friendly loss against Luka Doncic's Slovenian national team leading up to next month's EuroBasket. 

Lakers: The Lakers have reportedly found more Russell Westbrook trade ideas beyond the most-publicized Kyrie Irving and Buddy Hield and Myles Turner packages where LA has been resistant to add a second first-round pick. The continued deterioration of Kevin Durant's relationship bodes well for an Irving trade emerging, and the Lakers eventually offering their 2027 and 2029 picks unprotected would make a ton of sense for both sides. It wouldn't be surprising to see James sign some kind of extension once the team addresses Westbrook's future, which would appear bleak if he's moved to another team like the Nets that would likely release him. Much of the noise out of LA sounds like posturing to regain some leverage in talks, as it's been impossible to imagine James and Westbrook running it back. As the NBA schedule leaks this week, a Christmas meeting in Dallas between the Lakers and Mavericks is reportedly scheduled. 

Miami: The Heat expect to raise both Bill Russell and LeBron James' No. 6 jerseys to the rafters after the NBA announced it will honor Russell league-wide by ensuring no player will wear that number again. Players like James intending to wear No. 6 this season will be grandfathered in, with James switching from No. 23 in Cleveland upon arrival in 2010, before returning to No. 23 with the Lakers for two seasons, then returning to No. 6 this past year. James won two championships with the Heat and led them to four straight NBA Finals. 

New Orleans: The Pelicans had been strangely quiet in Kevin Durant talks until a report indicated they're interested as the Nets' asking price remains high. Like the Celtics, New Orleans can offer a star in Brandon Ingram who would help Brooklyn remain competitive after Durant's departure. The key to a deal would be the vast array of future first-round picks the Pelicans own though, not only their own, but a 2023 first-round swap option with the Lakers, a choice between one of 2024 and 2025 unprotected Lakers picks, two unprotected future Bucks picks and two Bucks pick swap options. New Orleans already has Zion Williamson and C.J. McCollum, and they can't possibly use that many picks, making this an almost perfect consolidation opportunity for the Pelicans. 

The question is whether role players like Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado would need to be included, or prospects like Trey Murphy III and Dyson Daniels. Brooklyn and New Orleans have numerous ways to land Durant with the Pelicans, a franchise-altering move that'd thrust them into the title conversation. Kristian Winfield noted a deal would likely include picks, Ingram, Jones, Alvarado and Devonte' Graham. 

Oklahoma City: You don't hear much about Darius Bazley's contract extension ahead of his restricted free agency next summer. It probably isn't in the cards after a season where he averaged 10.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 1.0 BPG on 42.2% shooting, not spectacular numbers, but he's improved and is only 22 years old this season. At 6-8 with good length and athleticism, he's been an intriguing prospect since he was young and may get crowded out of a front court that's welcoming Chet Holmgren and Ousmane Dieng. 

The Thunder typically command first-round picks for players and the Hawks got one for Cam Reddish in a similar spot. The Celtics have a crowd at the 4 position too and Bazley doesn't shoot well. They probably aren't in the market to give up a future first, but Bazley is a player worth watching as a buy-low opportunity this season for future depth if they end up challenged to keep Grant Williams in restricted free agency. He previously interned at New Balance in Boston instead of attending Syracuse in the year after high school. 

Orlando: The Dwight Howard trade took place 10 years ago, ending the last era of major relevancy for the Magic and setting up a haphazard rebuild that's gone on ever since. They received Al Harrington, Arron Affalo, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic and three first-round picks. Lakers center Andrew Bynum went to Philadelphia in an ill-fated stint that directly led to the process. Andre Iguodala went from Philadelphia to Denver, helping the Nuggets reach the playoffs before catching the eyes of a Warriors team in round one that would sign him that summer after falling short on Howard in free agency. 

Howard ultimately chose to sign with the Rockets after a disastrous season alongside Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash in LA, effectively becoming a journeyman from that point on. The Warriors edged Howard's Rockets out in a few key western conference battles and became a dynasty. Vucevic helped the Magic make two postseasons before the team sent him to Chicago at the 2021 trade deadline and acquired Wendell Carter Jr. and a first-round pick that became Franz Wagner. Altogether, the Howard trade became one of the most influential in recent NBA history in setting the league's direction. 

Philadelphia: Reportedly added to Kevin Durant's preferred destinations. It's hard to imagine a deal coming together though, as Daryl Morey and the Sixers love Tyrese Maxey. Tobias Harris' contract probably carries negative value and Matisse Thybulle is a great role player for a good team, though not necessarily a restarting piece for the Nets. Brooklyn already took two first-round picks from Philadelphia in the James Harden deal and sent one to Utah, hindering the 76ers' ability to sweeten their offer by taking protections off those picks. Even if Maxey got included, it's almost impossible to imagine the Nets reuniting Harden and Durant and worsening their future draft pick. 

Toronto: Building a Kevin Durant deal makes some sense after a strong Pascal Siakam season, ahead of Fred VanVleet's free agency and to build on a strong 2022. The Raptors don't always have opportunities to acquire players like Durant, and benefited immensely from a similar Kawhi Leonard trade in 2018. Toronto would again need to move a centerpiece player, probably Siakam, then multiple rotation players like OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. Would that leave enough depth to contend? Could the Raptors bring back a Nets depth piece alongside Durant, and just how many picks would it take? This feels like a real destination for Durant, but it's hard to find the perfect package. Toronto should hold on tightly to Scottie Barnes, the rookie of the year with so much growth and years of team control ahead. 

Utah: Celtics assistant Joe Mazzulla got interviewed for the Jazz head coaching job his former fellow assistant Will Hardy ultimately landed. Mazzulla spoke with the Boston Globe about the process, with Danny Ainge's courting of the assistant who's now served under Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka surprising him, but fitting for an executive Mazzulla grew to realize thinks outside the box. Udoka, perhaps noting that interest, elevated Mazzulla to his top assistant after Hardy's departure. Jayson Tatum noted he advocated for Mazzulla to remain on the staff when the Celtics replaced Stevens and most of his former staff members with Udoka's new staff last summer. 

Washington: The Wizards 'throwback' uniforms don't feel all that old.