While the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers are locked in an epic Finals battle, teams that fell short will look to make moves to get over the hump.
For the Minnesota Timberwolves, that move could be superstar Kevin Durant. While Durant is still one of the best scorers in NBA history, his connection with Wolves star Anthony Edwards makes the idea even more intriguing. The two were also part of Team USA’s gold medal–winning squad last year, where Edwards admitted Durant was his favorite player.
The duo seems like a perfect fit, but NBA insider Kevin O’Connor says there are several roadblocks that could make a deal tough to pull off.
Minnesota Might Miss Out on Durant
On paper, adding a 15-time All-Star to the young core Minnesota has built looks like the fix the Wolves need. As seen in their series against the Thunder, Minnesota lacked a steady scoring threat next to Edwards. Julius Randle filled that role during the playoffs, but his inconsistency was a problem.
Durant might look like the solution, but O’Connor outlined a few major challenges.
“Here’s the thing, here’s the tough part with the timing if it’s Minnesota. Minnesota before July 1st is a second apron team, so they can’t aggregate salaries until July 1st. So if you’re talking Minnesota, it’s incredibly difficult to put a deal together.”
The main issue for both the Wolves and the Phoenix Suns is that they are second-apron teams. That means they are over the league’s top spending threshold and are penalized for it. The penalties block them from trading certain draft picks and from using trade exceptions. While they could agree to a trade before July 1 and formalize it later, the Suns may not want to wait.
“I don’t think it’s Minnesota. Unless it’s like you agree in advance, and then you wait until July to make the deal,” O’Connor said. “So there’s a lot of moving parts here, but I don’t think it’s the Wolves if it happens before July 1st.”
Even if Phoenix waits, the question becomes what Minnesota would give up for a 37-year-old Kevin Durant. With the two-time Finals MVP still playing at an elite level, the Suns won’t just give him away.
It’s likely Minnesota would have to give up a major piece such as Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle. But the Wolves need to be careful about breaking up their core, especially with Durant’s history of team changes.
Other teams are making offers too. Right now, the favorites are the Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat. While Minnesota may struggle to offer a solid package, both the Rockets and Heat have enough assets to pull it off.
For Durant, the biggest goal at this point in his career is winning a third championship. The Rockets, who finished second in the West this year, could give him a real chance to do that while keeping a good part of their core intact.
The offseason has arrived, and it wouldn’t feel complete without another Kevin Durant trade saga.