Around the trade deadline, Kevin Durant was surprised when what had been Phoenix’s efforts to trade Bradley Beal suddenly pivoted to KD in trade talks with the Golden State Warriors and others.
One of those others was Minnesota — pairing Anthony Edwards and his idol — and it was serious about landing Durant, reports ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective Podcast (hat tip Real GM).
“It became clear to me in talking to the parties involved just how serious the Wolves were about trying to trade for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline.”
However, pulling the trade together at the time was impossible because both teams were over the second apron of the luxury tax, which imposed various restrictions on any deal (neither team could aggregate players, nor could either team take back $1 more than it sent out).
This summer, the Timberwolves have three core players who can — and will — be free agents that they must make decisions on: Julius Randle and Naz Reid have player options they are expected not to pick up, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a free agent.
However, with all those guys off the books July 1, there would be cap space to revisit a Durant trade. The question is, after a playoff run to the second round where Minnesota seemed to find an identity and path forward, do they want to shake things up with another blockbuster trade?
“I’m not arguing that Durant is going to end up in Minnesota… If you look at Tim Connelly, he made the big [Rudy] Gobert trade. He made the big trade of KAT for Julius Randle and DiVincenzo.”
Durant is going to get traded this summer, the only real question is where (talk on that front has been quiet around the league so far, but the wide-ranging expectation is that he will get moved, something mutual between him and Phoenix). Minnesota is not entirely off the table in those talks.
It’s something to watch, although the more likely path is the Timberwolves bringing back Randle and Alexander-Walker — Reid may be too expensive, and other teams can offer a larger role, although Minnesota wants to keep him — and tweaking the roster from there.
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