Souhan: Timberwolves’ interest in Kevin Durant is about need, not name recognition

Tim Connelly is looking to fix a major flaw with a possible trade for the veteran Suns star.

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The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 22, 2025 at 3:45AM
Suns forward Kevin Durant remains a dangerous scorer at age 37, and his skill set would fit in nicely with the Wolves. (Rick Scuteri)

When LeBron James chose to take his talents to South Beach, he created the modern, free-agency version of the NBA superteam.

When James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh won two championships with the Miami Heat, the threesome created a template that other teams would try to emulate. Put three superstars together, and you had a chance to be great.

This led to a great number of NBA general managers chasing sparkle over substance, combining stars without correctly analyzing how they would play together, or what effect a top-heavy roster would have on long-term competitiveness.

Timberwolves boss Tim Connelly has proved, with his three major trades since joining the team, that he doesn’t care about name recognition or fan reaction. He is attempting to build a cohesive team with complementary personalities and skills.

That’s what makes the Wolves’ pursuit of Kevin Durant fascinating. Connelly isn’t trying to add a big name. He cares nothing for big names. He’s not trying to add star power for the sake of star power, or to impress the fan base, or to sell tickets.

If Connelly is plotting to alter a very good team to add Durant, that’s because he’s convinced that Durant could be the key to winning an NBA title.

Let’s look at Connelly’s three big Timberwolves trades through that prism.

Connelly traded for Rudy Gobert not because the move would be popular but because Gobert immediately fixed the Wolves’ biggest problems at that time — rim protection and rebounding.

Four seasons ago, the Wolves ranked 13th in defensive efficiency. Three years ago, with Karl-Anthony Towns dealing with injuries and illness and Gobert adapting to a new team, the Wolves ranked 11th. Two years ago, they ranked first. Last year, they ranked sixth.

Connelly traded D’Angelo Russell, a player the organization couldn’t wait to get rid of and who made clear his displeasure about playing alongside Gobert, for Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Russell was the most talented and productive player in the deal, but Conley and Alexander-Walker became the starting point guard and off-the-bench defensive stopper for a team that reached the Western Conference finals in back-to-back years.

Connelly guessed correctly that Conley would elevate the play of his former teammate Gobert and provide wisdom to a young locker room. And he guessed correctly that Alexander-Walker would be able to grow into a larger role than he had been given in New Orleans or Utah.

Last summer, Connelly traded Towns to New York for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick. Connelly knew he would eventually have to move Towns for salary cap reasons, and he chose a player Chris Finch had worked with before in Randle, and an excellent two-way player who had thrived in the playoffs in DiVincenzo. He also recouped a first-round pick after trading so many away.

Randle belatedly proved he could play well alongside Anthony Edwards and contribute to a winning team. DiVincenzo, similarly, started slowly but played well down the stretch in the regular season. And the first-round pick could be part of a package to acquire Durant.

So what does Durant possess that has made him a target for Connelly at the trade deadline and at the beginning of this offseason?

Durant is one of the best scorers in NBA history. With his height, arm length and high release, he can get his shot off against anybody at any time. He is comfortable taking big shots in big games.

One of the Wolves’ two biggest problems last year, along with turnovers, was a lack of certainty and efficiency in late-game situations. Anthony Edwards, who idolized Durant growing up, has not learned how to consistently close out games with the ball in his hands.

Durant could mentor Edwards. He could also take the biggest shots, or force defenses to double-team him, which would benefit Edwards.

If Connelly deals for Durant, remember that he’s not stargazing. He’s fixing his team’s potholes.

about the writer

about the writer

Jim Souhan

Columnist

Jim Souhan is a sports columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune. He has worked at the paper since 1990, previously covering the Twins and Vikings.

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