Robert Williams not available in potential trade involving Kevin Durant

There’s good reason for pessimism, Durant’s ultimatum to Nets owner Joe Tsai did not light a fire under trade talks. If anything, it made it far less likely a deal gets done in the short term. — why would Boston improve its offer now? It robbed the Nets of leverage. For example, Brooklyn was trying to get Boston to put Smart in the trade, but why would they even consider it now? That said, even without Smart (or Robert Williams III, sources told NBC Sports he is not available), a Celtics offer with Jaylen Brown may be the best one the Nets will see.
Source: Kurt Helin @ NBC Sports

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
Should the Celtics Stay Away From Kevin Durant? a-list.libsyn.com/should-the-cel… – 6:08 AM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Kevin Durant reportedly now sees Boston as “desired landing spot” nba.nbcsports.com/2022/08/10/kev… – 11:50 PM Ric Bucher @RicBucher
The KD Saga Continues shows.acast.com/bucher-and-fri… via @acast – 11:04 PM Ethan Strauss @SherwoodStrauss
Going live at 8:15 PST PM with @sportsrapport. Lotta possible topics, but probably starting with KD vs Tsai mess callin.com/link/beDQbGNtwJ – 10:07 PM Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
NBA reporting:
Kevin Durant is still close with James Harden.
Kevin Durant still wants to play with James Harden.
Kevin Durant is mad at Nets for how they handled Kyrie Irving.
James Harden was fed up with Kyrie Irving.
Kevin Durant still wants to play with Kyrie Irving. 🤷‍ – 9:27 PM Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Report Roundup: Sixers could enter the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, but their best package probably won’t do it; the Lakers will now offer 2 picks for Kyrie Irving; Boston KD’s preferred destination; Pelicans have interest trib.al/g8KmsGr – 6:58 PM Anil Gogna @AnilGognaNBA
I’m growing more convinced that KD will eventually find his way to Boston:
MIA can’t include Bam.
TOR won’t include Scottie.
BOS has to consider moving Jaylen because an extension isn’t realistic and after years of being in trade rumors, he could just walk as a FA in 2 years. – 6:39 PM A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
LIVE Garden Report: Discussing Kevin Durant to Celtics Trade Rumors | Powered by @betonline_ag & @AthleticGreens twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1… – 6:07 PM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Now on @njdotcom
Could Kevin Durant and Steve Nash peacefully coexist after KD’s ultimatum? Jeff Van Gundy says yes. nj.com/nets/2022/08/n… – 5:29 PM Ian Begley @IanBegley
From earlier: a few notes on the Nets, Celtics, Kevin Durant, Marcus Smart and the Sixers’ interest in Durant here: sny.tv/articles/sourc… – 4:38 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
1) of course KD would be open to the Sixers
2) of course the Sixers should get him if they can using Maxey, and the 1.5 (?) picks they have left.
3) of course other teams can top their offer – 4:01 PM Eric Pincus @EricPincus
Latest @SportsBizClass SBC Practicum: Mock Toronto Raptors Blockbuster for Durant featuring @vkillem sportsbusinessclassroom.com/sbc-practicum-… – 3:51 PM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
I remain a major skeptic of a Kevin Durant to Philadelphia move, but today’s report on the matter is the first noteworthy lean in their direction (even if it’s only a slight lean) phillyvoice.com/nba-trade-rumo… – 2:45 PM CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
Kevin Durant trade rumors: Nets star views Celtics as a ‘desired landing spot,’ per report
cbssports.com/nba/news/kevin… – 1:56 PM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
Listen to today’s episode of The Starting Lineup with @Frank Isola & @Mitch Lawrence on Pandora!
🏀 Reported reasons why KD wants to leave Nets
📰 HEADLINES!
📞 Jeff Van Gundy joins the show
pandora.app.link/L45O0PEJdsb – 1:54 PM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
New: Kevin Durant reportedly now has the #Celtics on his preferred list of landing spots. Examining the impact that might have on potential future trade talks between Boston and Brooklyn: masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 1:43 PM Austin Krell @NBAKrell
Talking yourself out of trying to trade for Kevin Durant is a galaxy brain practice, but you’re also probably lying to yourself if you don’t think in 2-3 years people will be complaining about the Sixers getting lit up by Tyrese Maxey, especially if the Sixers don’t win a title. – 1:24 PM Cameron Tabatabaie @CTabatabaie
Shine comes off the apple for KD, requests trade from BKY
Nets reasonably enough seek *huge* haul in potential KD deal
BKY asks BOS for Jaylen AND Jayson, C’s counter with much smaller package
Now: KD wants out, & to play in BOS with Smart. BKY still wants mega package, w/ MS – 1:19 PM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
The Nets reportedly made quite the jaw dropping opening offer in trade talks with the #Celtics revolving around Kevin Durant: masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 1:16 PM Ian Begley @IanBegley
A few notes on the Nets, Celtics, Kevin Durant, Marcus Smart and the Sixers’ interest in Durant here: on.sny.tv/I48lGWh – 12:32 PM Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach
New: -Some KD and Jaylen intel
-Hall of Famer Bailey Howell on Bill Russell’s Boston Christmas parties
-Joe Mazzulla on his summer as a hot commodity
And more here…
bostonglobe.com/2022/08/10/spo… – 12:28 PM Anil Gogna @AnilGognaNBA
When you think about the fact that details of the discussions between KD and Nets’ owner Joe Tsai were leaked, you begin to wonder who leaked them. It weakens BKN’s trade leverage and causes more team dysfunction, so it wouldn’t make sense for their camp to leak it, which means… pic.twitter.com/jlRvjYDE4a – 12:25 PM Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
Wednesday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! More on the KD/Tsai/Nets/(by extension)Lakers drama, with Tsai calling Durant’s bluff by tweet. Plus, Ham is reportedly able to bench Russ. Is this actually a new thing? #FirstListen @LockedOnNBAPods @LockedOnNetwork
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lak… – 11:13 AM StatMuse @statmuse
Per game leaders among active players:
PPG — Kevin Durant
RPG — Andre Drummond
APG — Chris Paul
SPG — Chris Paul
BPG — Anthony Davis pic.twitter.com/zMtHMbKKiz – 11:13 AM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
New: Amid Kevin Durant trade rumors, Jaylen Brown has a noteworthy financial incentive to want to stay with the #Celtics for his next contract masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 11:00 AM Danny Leroux @DannyLeroux
Dunc’d On: Eastern Conference Offseason Grades 2022; KD vs Marks w/ @Nate Duncan
Subscribe to Total Access for ad-free episodes of Dunc’d On, and much more: duncdon.supportingcast.fm
Listen: …basketball-nba-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/easte… – 11:00 AM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Jumping on @CBSSportsRadio in five minutes with my good friend @cdotharrison for another round of Kevin Durant/Nets talk. – 10:55 AM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“Winning helps camouflage any bad feelings.”
Jeff Van Gundy tells @Frank Isola and @Mitch Lawrence the situation between Kevin Durant and the Nets can be fine if the 2x Finals MVP stays in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/RJPHwk9eqE – 10:48 AM Steve Bulpett @SteveBHoop
While Nets respond by digging in, NBA execs and coaches are angered by Kevin Durant’s ultimatum.
But it really doesn’t matter. He’s KD, and, for the right price, they’d all gladly welcome him anyway.
Allowances are always made for talent like this.
bit.ly/3ddNbkZ – 9:59 AM Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
The Celtics started off last season posting up, then ran away from it as it bogged down the offense.
But could Rob Williams bring it back in a new way to give the Celtics offense another dimension next season?
New @The Athletic
theathletic.com/3493613/2022/0… – 9:32 AM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Free pod: Eastern Conference Offseason Grades 2022; KD vs Marks w/ @Danny Leroux: https://t.co/zHc5xaUAJj
Subscribe to Total Access for ad-free episodes of Dunc’d On, and much more: https://t.co/XSgwN6BUIK pic.twitter.com/vDKiycNMCn – 9:00 AM

More on this storyline

Chris Mannix: I had one executive who was not involved in the Durant sweepstakes say to me ‘if the Nets don’t have the stomach to bring him to training camp, they should find a way to do a deal with Boston because they’re not going to get a better player in a deal than Jaylen Brown’. -via Apple Podcasts / August 11, 2022 Ric Bucher: I’m told that they wanted to trade Kyrie midway through this past season, and KD told them absolutely not. And they went along with it. Now, I’ve also been told while they’re still good friends, that maybe KD doesn’t value him quite the same way as a teammate. I’m not so sure about that. -via Apple Podcasts / August 11, 2022 A few notes on the Nets and Kevin Durant…. Durant sees Boston as a desired landing spot, per people familiar with the matter. Durant also would like to play with Boston’s Marcus Smart if he is traded to the Celtics, per people familiar with the matter. -via SportsNet New York / August 10, 2022 Similarly, recent max and sub-max extensions for rotation-caliber 20-somethings already seem like screaming bargains, especially the ones signed through 2026. I mean, Mikal Bridges for $24.9 million in 2025-26? That might only be 15 percent of the cap. Boston has Robert Williams at $13.5 million the same year, or roughly what the nontaxpayer midlevel exception is likely to become. Solid rotation guys like Cody Martin and John Konchar are locked up at what projects to be a few pennies more than the biannual exception. Before wrapping up, I should emphasize the “shoot-money-out-the-firehose-on-long-term-deals” approach is far less ironclad once we get into players in their late 20s. That’s still the space where not going too far out on the money makes some sense and is why the Blazers going out so far on Damian Lillard still presents a considerable risk — if he’s washed in 2026-27 at age 36, a $63 million cap hit is still a huge problem. -via The Athletic / July 26, 2022 Boston found a value deal with Robert Williams III just last August, extending the Celtics’ starting center for four years, $48 million plus incentives. Cap experts contacted by B/R projected that that salary range can set a benchmark for Grant Williams’ negotiations, but rival executives are skeptical that Boston will be willing to spend much greater a dollar amount on Grant than for Robert. -via Bleacher Report / July 19, 2022 … But in the time since the Finals, Williams has experienced no setbacks or further knee issues. The plan is to take six weeks of rest, and he will then report to the Sanford Power training facility in Irvine, California, to being to ramp up for the season. -via Heavy.com / July 15, 2022