The Kevin Durant trade saga has seen him linked with several teams in the offseason, including the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although Minnesota has been presented as one of the favorites to land the Phoenix Suns star, ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported on Durant’s disinterest in joining the Wolves. He said:
“I’m told the Phoenix Suns remain in active conversations around the league on a Kevin Durant deal. But they’re focus over the last several days has been on three teams – the Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.”
He added, “We know his preferred destinations, though, are the Rockets, Spurs, and the Heat. So, the Suns have been working with Durant’s partner, Rich Kleiman, just figuring out where exactly he could end up. It could be one of his preferred destinations, it could be a wild card team.”
Charania expressed that Durant’s expiring contract would be a massive factor in deciding what route this trade saga will head in. After mentioning this, he added:
“I’m told Kevin Durant has no desire to be in Minnesota with the Timberwolves.”
This, as the insider mentioned, has a massive impact on how teams outside of Durant’s list of preferred destinations approach any negotiations with the Suns.
The trade rumors have taken several interesting turns in the last few weeks. The forward was heavily linked to the Wolves, primarily owing to Minnesota’s desire to add an “alpha” type of player next to their young star, Anthony Edwards.
While the notion of pairing Durant with Edwards was exciting, rumblings around the league also had the 15x All-Star linked with other young teams such as the Rockets and the Spurs.
The rumors revolving around San Antonio received a particular amount of traction, with both parties engaging in active discussions as well. Durant’s interest in joining the Spurs was mutually reciprocated by the franchise. Unfortunately, no trades have gone through as the Suns reportedly rejected San Antonio’s counterproposal for the star.
Meanwhile, Houston has also made some serious advances, preparing to offer up two young stars in Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. as part of the deal for Durant. Unfortunately, there have been no developments on this front.
The interest in Durant, even at this stage in his career, is justified. Having averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 52.7% shooting from the field is an impressive feat. His statistical brilliance is paired with invaluable playoff and championship experience, a vital factor for teams looking to contend for the title next season.
For teams in “win now” mode, Durant could prove to be an asset in ensuring a successful campaign. While there has been no indication of a trade happening any time soon, the consensus is that the Suns will make a deal happen in the coming days leading up to the NBA Draft.
