The Minnesota Timberwolves are tabbed to be one of the two frontrunners for a Kevin Durant trade should the 15-time NBA All-Star and the Phoenix Suns part ways this summer, NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Friday.
“The Heat are frequently forecasted as a team, along with Minnesota, expected to show trade interest this offseason in Phoenix’s Kevin Durant,” Stein and Fischer wrote.
The Timberwolves poked around a Durant trade at the deadline when the team was still on shaky ground with their offseason trade acquisitions Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. But they have been solid since then, as both former New York Knicks players played vital roles in the Timberwolves first-round win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Minnesota is currently tied with the Golden State Warriors in their second-round series, splitting the first two games. The Timberwolves have a golden opportunity to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season as the Warriors are without their franchise star Stephen Curry for at least the next two games with a hamstring injury.
It remains to be seen whether they will pursue Durant or stick with Randle and DiVincenzo, who are their trade pieces in the potential blockbuster trade.
The Timberwolves and the Miami Heat and were among the teams with whom Durant had mutual interest back at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in April. That group also included the Knicks, Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs.
Timberwolves Wanted Kevin Durant at Trade Deadline
Getty ImagesThere’s mutual respect between Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Suns star Kevin Durant.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves were the most aggressive team to pursue the two-time champion and Finals MVP at the trade deadline after the failed Warriors trade, according to Windhorst.
“Another small market team to watch — the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Windhorst said on “Get Up” on March 6. “Anthony Edwards and KD have a very tight connection, also from the Olympics. The Timberwolves tried to pull off a crazy trade at the deadline for KD. Look for them to revisit those talks this summer.”
Edwards admitted he had mixed emotions after he led the Timberwolves in sweeping Durant and the Suns in the first round of the playoffs last year.
“I felt bad a little bit, only because he’s my favorite player of all time,” Edwards said. “I didn’t wanna send him home like that.”
They later teamed up in Team USA’s gold medal run in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Suns’ New Roster-Building Philosophy is Good News to Timberwolves
Getty (L-R) Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns watch from the bench.
The Suns’ disappointing finish pushed them to reconsider their roster-building philosophy, which bodes well for the Timberwolves’ chances to land Durant this summer.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that they are moving on from the Big 3 model, which did not result in any playoff success over the last two seasons.
“One thing that I was told is that the Suns want to transition,” Haynes said on “Haynes’ Briefs” on April 18. “They want to move away from the model that they’ve been going after for the previous two years of accumulating star talent, star players and then trying to see if it can mesh on the court. They want to move away from that and they are going to move away from that.
“So, the purpose right now and the goal moving into next season is to accumulate defensive-minded tough players. They want to play a defensive-minded, grind-it-out type of game. They want to have a product on a court that fans can appreciate.”
With Booker untouchable and Beal having a no-trade clause, Durant is the Suns’ most valuable trade chip to reshape their roster.
Timberwolves Tabbed as Frontrunner in Potential Blockbuster Trade for 15-Time NBA All-Star