The Kevin Durant trade saga finally ended on Sunday, with the Phoenix Suns sending him to the Houston Rockets. The Suns didn’t get a good haul in return for Durant, and it appears there was once a far better offer on the table. Suns insider John Gambadoro revealed the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ package on The Kevin O’Connor Show.
“This is what I believe the offer to be,” Gambadoro said. “How much changed on Durant not wanting to go there, that we’re not 100% sure on. But I believe Minnesota would have been Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, one of the young players, either [Terrence] Shannon [Jr.] or [Rob] Dillingham, and then their first-round pick.”
The Rockets, meanwhile, only gave up Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in this 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks. The Timberwolves’ package was clearly better, but he had no interest in going to Minnesota. Gambadoro isn’t sure if this offer was still on the table once the 36-year-old’s lack of interest became evident.
“I think that was a good offer [from the Timberwolves], but I think KD probably, like the Golden State deal, sent through back channels that, ‘I’ll go there but there’s no guarantee that I’m going to re-sign with you,'” Gambadoro stated. “Now, whether Minnesota was willing to do that deal without a guarantee from KD or not, I’m not sure.”
Durant had, of course, shut down a blockbuster trade that would have sent him to the Golden State Warriors at this year’s deadline in February. Now, NBA players normally don’t get much say in trades, but the 15-time All-Star had some leverage.
Durant is entering the final year of his four-year, $194-million deal in 2025-26, and a team would need assurances that he would re-sign with them before a trade. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Timberwolves took this massive offer off the table once they realized that he could leave for free in a year.
The Timberwolves weren’t the only team that appeared to have presented a better offer than the Rockets. Kevin O’Connor reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ offer for Durant included Darius Garland.
Just like with the Timberwolves, you’d imagine that Durant would have sent messages about not wanting to go to the Cavaliers. It would have made little sense otherwise for the Suns to turn down the opportunity to acquire Garland, who would have solved their point guard woes.
The Suns also tried to trade Durant to the Miami Heat, but the asking price of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and additional draft capital was not met. They were ultimately forced to settle for that underwhelming haul from the Rockets.
Having to give up such a laughable haul for a player of Durant’s caliber means the Rockets, who were the second seed in the West with a 52-30 record in 2024-25, will be serious title contenders next season. Their new superstar is already at work, too, with a clip of him working out at a gym going viral.
KD in the gym right after the Houston trade 👀
SCARY… @KDTrey5 @Cbrickley603 pic.twitter.com/L9eqNt4MPx
— Overtime (@overtime) June 24, 2025
Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in 2024-25. He is the kind of elite scorer that the Rockets desperately needed, and it will be interesting to see how far he can take this group.
