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After a few quiet days around the NBA, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a bombshell. The Boston Celtics are reportedly engaged with the Brooklyn Nets in an attempt to acquire Kevin Durant. The Celtics have the right players and assets, while the Nets' demands haven't changed.
One player from the Celtics linked to the potential Durant trade is Jaylen Brown. The 25-year-old swingman is one of Boston's prized assets, with Jayson Tatum deemed untouchable. With reports reaching Brown, the one-time All-Star has reacted on social media.
Here's the latest NBA news roundup on July 26 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Bucks G League affiliate acquires Giannis Antetokounmpo's brother Alex via trade
The Milwaukee Bucks' NBA G League affiliate team, the Wisconsin Herd, has acquired Alex Antetokounmpo from the Raptors 905. According to Jamal Collier of ESPN, the Herd traded the player rights to Jalen Lecque while also getting a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA G League draft.
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Alex is the younger brother of Thanasis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He averaged 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds last season. He played in just 15 games, getting seven minutes per game of playing time. He's yet to appear in an NBA game but participated in last season's All-Star Skills Challenge with his brothers.
The 20-year-old forward played high school basketball in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. He received college scholarship offers from DePaul, Green Bay and Ohio but turned pro in Europe. He signed with UCAM Murcia in Spain before going undrafted in 2021.
Mark Jackson shocked 29 other NBA teams are not trying to get Kevin Durant
Former Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson is surprised not many teams are inquiring about Kevin Durant. The Brooklyn Nets superstar demanded a trade before free agency started, but only a handful of teams have shown interest.
"I'm surprised that 29 teams aren't on the phone trying to acquire Kevin Durant," Jackson said on ESPN's First Take. "When you talk about acquiring an all-time great basketball player, he immediately takes any team and puts them in a championship discussion."
Despite turning 34 in September, Durant is still one of the best players in the NBA today. The Nets came up short last season, but Durant played at a high level. He averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists but was only limited to 55 games due to a knee injury.
Detroit Pistons bringing back classic '90s teal jerseys next season
The Detroit Pistons are bringing back a classic jersey from the 1990s, per NBA.com. The Pistons' teal jersey was unveiled as their Classic Edition uniform for next season. They're expected to use the throwback jersey for approximately ten games.
"To Pistons fans everywhere – we heard you, and this is for you," Pistons Chief Business Officer Mike Zavodsky said. "The teal jerseys represent a 'colorful' time in Pistons basketball and NBA history. We are thrilled to re-introduce the teal to a new generation of basketball fans and can't wait to see this version of Detroit Basketball suit up in them."
The teal jersey, with the famous flaming horsehead, was used for more than half a decade, from 1996 to 2001. Some of the Pistons players who wore the jersey include Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse and Ben Wallace. The Pistons made the playoffs four out of six times during that period.
Jaylen Brown responds to trade rumors about possible Kevin Durant deal
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first reported that the Boston Celtics were actively engaged with the Brooklyn Nets about a potential Kevin Durant trade. Wojnarowski noted that the Celtics are not close to acquiring Durant, but the Nets are intrigued with Jaylen Brown.
With his name back on the trade rumors, Brown has responded with a three-letter word on his Twitter account.
For those who do not know, "SMH" stands for "shaking my head," something that Brown might be doing while reading the rumors.
Brown has two years left on his contract, with a total salary of $52 million. The Celtics are also open to parting ways with at least three unprotected first-round picks and two swap picks.
The Celtics joined a short list of teams that were linked to Durant. The Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors tried to acquire the 12-time All-Star but to no avail. The Golden State Warriors were also rumored to be interested in a reunion but opted to run it back, as they had just won the title.
Bam Adebayo thinks he should have won back-to-back DPOY Awards
The Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo is one of the defensive players in the league today. He came in fourth in Defensive Player of the Year votings in the past two seasons. However, Adebayo feels he should have been a two-time DPOY winner by now.
He told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he's disappointed not to have won the award in the past two seasons. Rudy Gobert took the honors in 2021, while Marcus Smart won it last season. Nevertheless, Adebayo is confident to win it next year.
"I should have won it the last two years, and I will win it this year," Adebayo said.
The 25-year-old center currently has the third-best odds to win DPOY next season after Gobert and Smart's Boston Celtics teammate, Robert Williams III. Adebayo continues to improve every season.
That's one of the reasons why the Miami Heat are reluctant to include him in a potential trade for Kevin Durant.
