The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the basketball world by acquiring Luka Doncic on Saturday night and it appears the Golden State Warriors tried to pull off a stunning move of their own earlier. ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reports that the Warriors called the Phoenix Suns last week to enquire about Kevin Durant.
“Lots to unpack with the Warriors, who attempted to make some big swings over the last 72 hours. Not only did they call the Suns last week about Kevin Durant, but they also held deep talks with the Bulls about LaVine AND Vuc. Everything then shifted to Butler, which fell apart.”
Seigel later added that the Suns informed the Warriors that Durant is not available and neither is Devin Booker.
“And the Suns made it very clear that KD isn’t available, nor is Devin Booker.”
There have been rumblings about a Durant-Warriors reunion for quite some time now, but the Suns aren’t interested in parting with him. There has been no indication that the 14-time All-Star wants to leave either, so it’s unlikely he will be wearing another team’s jersey after the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
What is quite interesting about this situation is that Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr had openly stated they weren’t in favor of the Warriors going all-in and sacrificing the future. Perhaps they didn’t mind it if Durant, who is averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 2024-25, was the one being brought in.
Durant had tremendous success in his three seasons with the Warriors from 2016 to 2019. They went to the NBA Finals in all of those seasons and won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
While the Warriors went on to win another title in 2022, Durant has failed to get his hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy since leaving. With the Suns currently sporting a 25-23 record, it seems unlikely the 36-year-old will win his third title this season either.
A move to the Warriors might give him a better chance now and in the near future thanks to Curry’s presence, but it’s still not a guarantee the way it was when he first joined them. The Warriors are currently 24-24 on the season and look like a shell of their former self. While Durant would certainly elevate them, they probably would need another piece or two to win it all.
Warriors Out Of The Race For Jimmy Butler
The Warriors have been heavily linked with Jimmy Butler this season but it looks like they won’t be pursuing him anymore. NBA insider Brian Windhorst reports that the Warriors have exited the Butler race after being told he’s unwilling to sign an extension with them.
“The Heat’s Jimmy Butler has communicated to the Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension there and therefore trade talks to send him to Golden State have ended for now, sources told ESPN.”
Butler could potentially hit free agency after this season by opting out of his $52.4 million player option for 2025-26. If he is unwilling to extend with the Warriors, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go after him.
So, it looks like the Warriors will fail to land two of their major targets. They have already lost out on one, with Zach LaVine being traded to the Sacramento Kings. It does seem unlikely at this point that they’ll be making a move before the deadline.
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