Celtics' Brad Stevens Says He Met with Jaylen Brown, Discussed Kevin Durant Rumors

The Boston Celtics kept open the lines of communication with Jaylen Brown amid rumors they were pursuing a trade for Kevin Durant.

Appearing on WEEI's Merloni, Fauria and Mego (h/t Jack Simone of Heavy.com), Celtics president Brad Stevens said the team has been "been very open from the get-go" with its players before revealing he met with Brown in person in Los Angeles last week.

"He looked great, and he will be back to Boston soon," Stevens noted.

When Durant's trade request came out in late June, the Celtics were among the teams that showed interest in the 12-time All-Star.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on July 25 that Boston offered a package of Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Durant.

Brown was apparently made aware of the speculation, based on his tweet posted the same day as Charania's report:

In an Aug. 12 report from Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, one league source said they believe Brown is "all-in" on being with the Celtics "if they want him long term" and are willing to give him the contract he wants when the time comes.

The Durant option was taken off the table, at least for now, Tuesday when the Nets announced both parties "agreed to move forward with our partnership."

It's plausible that if things go south for the Nets this season after a frustrating 2021-22 campaign, Durant will bring back his trade request.

If that were to happen, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Celtics were back talking to Brooklyn's front office about trade options next season.

For now, though, Brown looks like he will be in Boston for the entire 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old has averaged at least 20 points and six rebounds per game in each of the past three seasons and is under contract through 2023-24.

The Celtics won 27 of their final 34 games during the regular season after a 24-24 start in 2021-22. They advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years but lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.