The latest twist in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes seems to have the Timberwolves on the outside looking in as teams are assembling their best offers to entice the Suns to deal the 36-year-old former MVP.
On Saturday night, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania reported Durant has a list of teams he would prefer to go to that included the Heat, Rockets and Spurs, and those would be the teams he would commit to with a long-term extension. But Charania added that the Suns would make the best deal for their franchise among what he said were “six to eight seriously interested teams.”
One of those teams is the Wolves, though as of Saturday night, a source told the Minnesota Star Tribune it was appearing “unlikely” that a deal would materialize between Phoenix and the Wolves for now. But things can always change quickly in trade negotiations, and just because Durant doesn’t have the Wolves on his preferred teams list doesn’t mean Minnesota is out of the running, or that things could change in talks between the Wolves and Suns. The Wolves made an attempt to acquire Durant at the trade deadline in February.
The idea of teaming Anthony Edwards with his favorite player growing up in Durant is an enticing one for the Wolves, and Durant has spoken glowingly of Edwards in the past. The two won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics on Team USA.
“I miss being around Ant every day,” Durant told the Star Tribune in October.
The Wolves also have a lot of other dominoes to fall in free agency whether they deal for Durant or not.
Julius Randle and Naz Reid each have player options they will need to decide whether to opt in or out of before free agency opens June 30. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted free agent.
One thing that might disincline the Wolves from dealing for Durant is how they value their depth, a key component to their run to the Western Conference finals this seasons — and a key component for the two teams currently in the finals, the Thunder and Pacers.
