NBA insider Brian Windhorst said Kevin Durant’s pursuit at the Minnesota Timberwolves trade deadline is serious and could resume following removal of major blocks.
The two-time NBA champions were approaching a move away from the Phoenix Suns, with several teams asking about his availability.
Windhorst was closed and Timberwolves reported that he was interested in Kevin Durant, but it was an impossible trade to carry out.
The Golden State Warriors were also a team that expressed interest, but they ended up signing Jimmy Butler.
However, after losing in the final of the conference, Windhorst believes the Minnesota Timberwolves can revisit their interest in Kevin Durant.
Kendrick Perkins recently shared how Minnesota is good for KD. He found the move great not only for his previous MVP, but also for Anthony Edwards.
The reason the deal fell to the trade deadline is because the Suns and Timberwolves were both second apron teams.
However, the latter has several players with a choice of player and if they opt out, the Timberwolves have cap space to bring players like Durant.
“Conversing with those involved revealed how serious the wolves were in their attempt to trade with Kevin Durant at the trade deadline.
“Now, at the time, the wolves weren’t playing the best basketball. They then finished the season and reached the Western Conference Finals, and I don’t want to imply that their mindset is still in February,” Windhorst said.
The Timberwolves played great basketball after the All-Star break, but it was clear when they reached the conference final that their team needed another player who could score to win the playoffs.
KD is the exact kind of player that can fill that void and may require some assets to trade with him, but Timberwolves tries to do so.
“They made some sort of progress, but it was impossible to achieve that,” Windhorst said.
Durant is one of the most elite scorers in the NBA.
One of the hardships that Minnesota had in the series with the OKC Thunder was scoring when Edwards didn’t make it.
Bringing KD gives him another option to get the ball at all levels, and although he is 36, he hasn’t slowed down his 15 All-Star game.
Durant averaged 26 points in the 2024-25 season, indicating that he can still play for competing teams.
Having played two conference finals, the Timberwolves aren’t too far from building a roster enough to win the championship.
They made a big difference in their final offseason, but now they could bring in Durant, who can not only be a star of the team, but also provide a veteran presence that will help them raise the roster.
