NBA – KD now long gone, Spurs battling for a new star potentially on the way out?

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

Long considered to be in a good position to acquire Kevin Durant, the Spurs preferred to let this market opportunity pass them by. On the other hand, they could be more aggressive in their pursuit of another star who is more than ever in an ejector seat.

No matter who you talk to, you’ll always hear the same thing over the last few months. The team’s general staff seem to be pulling in the same direction, unwilling to rush things despite their lofty ambitions. This explains their refusal to give up too much in exchange for Kevin Durant, who eventually went to the Rockets. However, another target could force them to change their tune.

Spurs involved in a battle for an Eastern star?

A few weeks ago, while KD’s fate remained unclear, San Antonio found itself at the heart of a rumor concerning… Jaylen Brown. An insider suggested that the Texan franchise might be interested in the services of the winger-star, whose age difference with Victor Wembanyama is smaller. Shams Charania, meanwhile, has revived the issue in recent hours in SportsCenter :

Shams Charania: “The phone lines are all busy in Boston. From what I understand, the Celtics are even receiving offers for Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. That said, the price they’ve set for these two players is high. They know how good Brown and White are, so I’m sure they’re getting big offers. They’d prefer to keep them, but they’re still above first apron.”

“As it stands, the Celtics will still have to pay the luxury tax and don’t know what next season will look like in Jayson Tatum’s absence.”

In a climate of uncertainty, the Celtics have just parted company with two of their key players, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. All this in a bid to reduce their spending in preparation for what promises to be a transitional season.

In this context, again according to Charania, Boston’s managers would not be totally closed to Brown’s departure in the event of a sufficiently attractive offer:

Shams Charania: Will any team accede to their requests regarding Jaylen Brown and Derrick White? In any case, the Celtics are listening.

For the time being, there’s no indication that Spurs have passed on a proposal to their counterparts, or even intend to do so. However, Shams’ comments on the Stephen A. Smith Show, coupled with the old talk mentioned above, suggest that they could be part of a group of teams seduced by the profile of the four-time All-Star:

Shams Charania: For the Celtics, this is just the start of what promises to be a very busy off-season. In particular, several teams have expressed significant interest in Jaylen Brown.