Kevin Durant Rumors

[Wolvesfan21]

Durant vs. Randle:

Durant PPG/Reb/Asst/To per game: 26.6/6.0/4.2/3.1
Randle PPG/Reb/Asst/To per game: 18.7/7.1/4.7/2.8

Durant Net Rating and On/Off Rating: -1.0/+4.2
Randle Net Rating and On/Off Rating: +3.4/-3.7

Durant Defensive Estimated Plus Minus Percentile: 59th
Randle Defensive Estimated Plus Minus Percentile: 49th

Durant 2pt%/3pt%/FT%/TS%: 57%/43%/84%/64%
Randle 2pt%/3pt%/FT%/TS%: 56%/34%/81%/59%

Notes:
- Durant played a couple fewer minutes per game than Randle, for what it's worth

- Durant's Net Rating was the best among Phoenix's starting 5, whereas Randle's was the worst among Minnesota's starting 5. That's some important context. I think the Net On/Off rating is telling too, although in Randle's defense, it was Rudy and Naz on the floor when he was on the bench, which is a pretty damn good big combination.

- Durant is still an elite scorer. To average 27PPG in only 30 MPG on a TS% of 64% is pretty insane and certainly more efficient than Julius and Ant.

- Randle sported a surprisingly better Asst:TO ratio. For a guy that seems to be so efficient in his movements and shooting, Durant sure did turn it over a lot. And he played with Tyus, so it's not like his PG was encouraging the sloppiness.

Thanks for this, Q...good information.

I'm still president of the "run it back" club...I just can't let a bad series against an elite team change the opinion I had going into the series based on an exceptional final quarter of the season. I think anyone would be intrigued by Durant...he's a great player. But here's my big issue. The majority of this board has moved on from Mike Conley, and say we just can't have a guy that old in the starting lineup (despite the fact that he continues to be a much needed stabilizing influence on this team and we continue to perform better when he is on the court compared to off). Well, on September 28 both Durant and Conley will be the same age...granted Mike moves ahead of him again in October. But here's my problem...I think anybody that watched Mike bust his ass in the playoffs and the entire season, and then compared it to Durant's lazy demeanor on the court (at least every time I watched him this season) would never believe that Mike is the slightly older player! I'm not willing to get older and give up significant assets betting on the chance that Durant's attitude is going to suddenly change overnight because he now gets to play next to Ant rather than Booker...color me skeptical on that one.

And I get that your comparison here is not Durant vs. Mike, but Durant vs. Randle, and Randle's body language sometimes mirrors Durant's (although not as often). I just don't know that I want two guys in their late 30s in the rotation.

Plus, I think we have to get real about what we would have to give up to bring in Durant...not only what works under the CBA, but also what the Suns would accept. We can talk about aggregating salaries of players we don't care about, but let's keep it real here. The Suns are going to insist on bringing in players who can help them long term, and I have to believe that would include Jaden plus some young players we are betting on. I'm not going to take the time to do it, but I would be interested in seeing a deal proposal that both works financially and is attractive to the Suns. I think when most posters here see what that would entail, they will say "that's giving up too much to bring in a guy turning 37".

Yeah, a lot not to like about Durant with his age being the #1 factor, but the other is that he is seemingly discontented almost everywhere he goes. We'd be talking about a two year window of usefulness in my opinion and he'd be a borderline part-time player during the regular season in order to ensure he's rested and healthy for the playoffs. Far from ideal!

However, the numbers don't lie...he is still one of the elite scorers in the NBA and makes it look easy in that he doesn't have to labor much. He just rises above the defense and shoots.

The obvious question is what would it take and is it worth whatever we would have to give up? If Randle picks up his option, which is a distinct possibility given the lack of cap space out there, something like Randle, DDV, Dillingham, and a draft pick may do it.

I don't believe Phoenix would be looking for some ridiculous haul given his age and one year left on his contract. And I certainly don't think the Wolves would give up Jaden, as I actually think having Durant play between Jaden and Rudy would be a critical factor in making it work defensively.

The compensation would get lower the more stink Durant potentially makes. Say he publicly says he's done in Phoenix and his two options are so and so team and MN or even just MN. Then all of a sudden it's do you as Phoenix just get what you can get or have a bad apple just sitting on your bench and get nothing for him.

Everyone else knows what we know. His contract is almost up and he's a pretty old man. It would make zero sense to me to give up anything you really like on your team for a distressed asset.

If I'm TC I make a low ball offer and say take it or leave it.

[Lipoli390]

I would not trade any of our assets for Kevin Durant. I think it’s ridiculous to think that adding a 37 year old Kevin Durant will get this team over the hump from being easily dispatched in the Conference Finals two years in a row to winning a title. Without getting into too much detail, lets look at Durant from four angles:

First, Durant’s durability is highly questionable and, therefore, can’t be counted on to contribute throughout the season. He played 70 or more games in only three of the last 10 seasons and 62 or more in only one of his last five seasons. He played 62 games last season, 47 in 2022-23 and 55 in 2021-22. In total, he’s missed 136 out of 410 regular season games over the past five years. As Durant turns 37 this off season, he’s not going to become more durable. Missing a lot of games not only leaves you without whatever value he brings to the court for much of the season, it also disrupts your team’s continuity.

Second, even if he plays 70+ games, which is highly doubtful, I don’t see Durant moving the needle for us. First, look at how his recent teams have performed. The Suns won only 39 games and failed to make the playoffs-in tournament this past season even with Durant playing alongside all-star Devin Booker. The season before, the Suns won only 49 games and were swept by the Wolves in the 1st round. The previous season, Durant arrived in Phoenix in time for the playoffs and the Suns were ousted in the Conference semifinals. In each of his two full seasons in Brooklyn, the Nets won 48 and 44 games respectively, never making the Conference Finals. And back then Durant was in his early 30s.

Third, Durant would make us worse in areas where we faltered this past season. Our defense and rebounding declined last season, and our offensive lacked pace. Durant was once a very good defender but his defensive rating has declined precipitously in every one of his past five seasons to the point where he is a relatively poor defender or certainly not a good one. So he doesn’t help us defensively and probably makes us worse. Giving up Rudy for Durant would have an enormously negative impact on our defense. Durant is an OK rebounder but not nearly as good as Rudy or Randle. As Chris Finch has pointed out, our offense last season lacked pace. Durant’s presence would be a further drag on the team’s offensive pace.

Fourth, Durant’s presence (assuming he plays a significant number of games) stifles the development of our young talent like TSJ and Clark while also impeding the expansion of Jaden’s role offensively, which I consider key to the growth of this team over the next few years.

Bottom line is that I can think of very few things as dumb as trading ANYTHING for Kevin Durant this offseason. Instead of giving up assets for a 37 year old Durant, we should be focusing on other options and the need to figure out how we deal with the declining 37 year old Mike Conley.

[rapsuperstar31]

I have no interest in Durant, if they have no desire to keep Randle who opts in and his value is so low because of his no trade clause that all it costs is Randle, Mike and the 31st pick, I guess. I'm not giving up a lot to get him, and if he wants to play with Ant he can sign here as a free agent in July 2026.

[Coolbreeze44]

I would not trade any of our assets for Kevin Durant. I think it’s ridiculous to think that adding a 37 year old Kevin Durant will get this team over the hump from being easily dispatched in the Conference Finals two years in a row to winning a title. Without getting into too much detail, lets look at Durant from four angle:

First, can Durant be counted on to play? The answer is no. Durant has a history of missing a lot of games. He played 70 or more games in only two of the last 9 seasons. He played 62 games last season, 47 in 2022-23 and 55 in 2021-22. Turning 37 this off season further increases the odds he’ll miss a lot of games. Missing a lot of games not only leaves you without whatever value he brings to the court for much of the season, it also disrupts your team’s continuity.

Second, how much can Durant be counted on to help this team win when on the court and would his presence in the games he plays get us over the hump into the NBA finals? I think the answers are pretty obvious. How much would he help us win? Not much. Would he get us over the hump? No. So even if he plays 70+ games, which is highly doubtful, I don’t see Durant moving the needle for us. Why do I say that? First, look at how his recent teams have performed? The Suns won only 39 games with Durant playing alongside allstar Devin Booker. The season before, the Suns won only 49 games and were knocked out by the Wolves in the 1st round. The previous season, Durant arrived in Phoenix in time for the playoffs and the Suns were ousted in the semifinals. In each of his two full seasons in Brooklyn, the Nets won 48 and 44 games respectively, never making the Conference Finals. And back then Durant was in his early 30s and had not yet torn his Achilles.

Third, Durant would make us worse in areas we faltered this past season. We declined defensively and Durant would clearly make us worse defensively. We were often too slow and lacked ball movement offensively and Durant makes us marginally worse in those areas as well.

Fourth, Durant’s presence (assuming he plays a significant number of games) stifles the development of our young talent like TSJ and Clark while also impeding the expansion of Jaden’s role offensively, which I consider key to the growth of this team over the next few years.

Bottom line is that I can think of very few things as dumb as trading ANYTHING for Kevin Durant this offseason. Instead of giving up assets for a 37 year old Durant, we should be focusing on other options and the need to figure out how we deal with the declining 37 year old Mike Conley.

Great points Lipster, I don't see much upside either.

[Wolvesfan21]

I would not trade any of our assets for Kevin Durant. I think it’s ridiculous to think that adding a 37 year old Kevin Durant will get this team over the hump from being easily dispatched in the Conference Finals two years in a row to winning a title. Without getting into too much detail, lets look at Durant from four angle:

First, can Durant be counted on to play? The answer is no. Durant has a history of missing a lot of games. He played 70 or more games in only two of the last 9 seasons. He played 62 games last season, 47 in 2022-23 and 55 in 2021-22. Turning 37 this off season further increases the odds he’ll miss a lot of games. Missing a lot of games not only leaves you without whatever value he brings to the court for much of the season, it also disrupts your team’s continuity.

Second, how much can Durant be counted on to help this team win when on the court and would his presence in the games he plays get us over the hump into the NBA finals? I think the answers are pretty obvious. How much would he help us win? Not much. Would he get us over the hump? No. So even if he plays 70+ games, which is highly doubtful, I don’t see Durant moving the needle for us. Why do I say that? First, look at how his recent teams have performed? The Suns won only 39 games with Durant playing alongside allstar Devin Booker. The season before, the Suns won only 49 games and were knocked out by the Wolves in the 1st round. The previous season, Durant arrived in Phoenix in time for the playoffs and the Suns were ousted in the semifinals. In each of his two full seasons in Brooklyn, the Nets won 48 and 44 games respectively, never making the Conference Finals. And back then Durant was in his early 30s and had not yet torn his Achilles.

Third, Durant would make us worse in areas we faltered this past season. We declined defensively and Durant would clearly make us worse defensively. We were often too slow and lacked ball movement offensively and Durant makes us marginally worse in those areas as well.

Fourth, Durant’s presence (assuming he plays a significant number of games) stifles the development of our young talent like TSJ and Clark while also impeding the expansion of Jaden’s role offensively, which I consider key to the growth of this team over the next few years.

Bottom line is that I can think of very few things as dumb as trading ANYTHING for Kevin Durant this offseason. Instead of giving up assets for a 37 year old Durant, we should be focusing on other options and the need to figure out how we deal with the declining 37 year old Mike Conley.

The upgrade potentially for Durant is him versus Ju against OKC. Ju got dominated by their defense and I doubt anything different will happen next time. Durant is a sniper and elite shot maker. Ju isn't. Ju also was super meh at best on defense against them also.

If you think OKC is the team to beat then it does make some sense.

As far as minutes, actually could see him playing a little less than Ju. I see it as a possible win, as long as you give up players you are fine with giving up (Ju).

[Monster]

I don't feel like looking it up but can the Wolves extend and trade guys that can then be aggregated in a trade? That's a little different than a sign and trade.

Durant could really go nuclear and just demand a buyout take 20 million less and sign for the vet min or less with the Wolves this year. Yeah I know that won't happen but the key to me right now is what are the Suns gonna try and do in a trade with Durant? Still compete? Straddle competing with some rebuilding pieces? Try and rebuild buy tearing things up and building around Booker? Depending on the coach Randle might actually fit with Booker. A playmaker with the collection of shooter the Suns have could actually make some sense.

The other question is how much does Randle want to stay with the Wolves? What if he says "I'll take like 25 million a year or even a little less if we can keep everyone or make some moves to make the team better." How much buy in to staying does he have?

Maybe a different way of looking at this deal is what if the Wolves upgraded Naz to Durant? I love Naz and I think he has become a better player every year but also wonder if he might not get appreciably better than he is now. What if he ends up being a really good bench player but flawed starter?

https://www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com ... extension/

It looks like based on this article players can be extended and traded but the raise can only be 5% so that's not gonna work for NAW but it MIGHT work for either Randle or Naz. Would either of those guys want to land in Phoenix?

[Lipoli390]

I don't feel like looking it up but can the Wolves extend and trade guys that can then be aggregated in a trade? That's a little different than a sign and trade.

Durant could really go nuclear and just demand a buyout take 20 million less and sign for the vet min or less with the Wolves this year. Yeah I know that won't happen but the key to me right now is what are the Suns gonna try and do in a trade with Durant? Still compete? Straddle competing with some rebuilding pieces? Try and rebuild buy tearing things up and building around Booker? Depending on the coach Randle might actually fit with Booker. A playmaker with the collection of shooter the Suns have could actually make some sense.

The other question is how much does Randle want to stay with the Wolves? What if he says "I'll take like 25 million a year or even a little less if we can keep everyone or make some moves to make the team better." How much buy in to staying does he have?

Maybe a different way of looking at this deal is what if the Wolves upgraded Naz to Durant? I love Naz and I think he has become a better player every year but also wonder if he might not get appreciably better than he is now. What if he ends up being a really good bench player but flawed starter?

https://www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com ... extension/

It looks like based on this article players can be extended and traded but the raise can only be 5% so that's not gonna work for NAW but it MIGHT work for either Randle or Naz. Would either of those guys want to land in Phoenix?

Naz has flaws but so does every other player in the League. He’s a flawed bench player and he’d be a flawed starter if he were inserted into the starting lineup. He has too many flaws to expect him to be an allstar but most starters aren’t allstars and that shouldn’t be the expectation. Could he be better than Randle as our starting PF because of skill set and fit with the other key players on our team? Definitely and I think probably. I could see keeping both Randle and Naz if both are willing to accept the possibility that they might have a 6th man rather than starting role. When I ran the numbers I calculated that we could keep all our other guys except NAW, sign both draft picks and stay barely under the 2nd apron if Naz and Julius would both accept a starting salary of no more than $26 million next season. I think it’s clear that both want to come back. They both really like their teammates, the coaching staff and the community. Bringing both back next season would be OK with me if we could stay under the 2nd apron. But I do worry about giving Julius a long-term contract as he gets into his 30s.

One thing I would NOT consider is trading Julius for Kevin Durant but that’s because of Durant, not Julius. I just can’t fathom adding a 37 year old who can’t stay on the court, can’t defend much anymore and hasn’t shown the ability to raise the level of his team for the past 3 years.

[60WinTim]

So, here is some context behind all this KD talk. It stems from Windy's reporting that the Wolves were very serious about trying to trade for KD at the trade deadline. But look at the Wolves situation back then! Less than 3 weeks before the trade deadline the Wolves were sitting just 1 game over .500. The blending in of Randle (and Donte for that matter) was an ongoing struggle, and he had a player option for the upcoming year. I imagine some of the initial talks started around that time. The Wolves proceeded to go on a 5-game winning streak, but then Randle had the groin injury. Who knows if the talks at that time picked up, or cooled off. But obviously, a trade never materialized.

Fast forward to now, and the Randle integration is more or less complete. The Wolves had a pretty solid finish to the season and good playoff run, powered in part by Randle. The Wolves perspective on Randle for KD is probably quite different. I doubt there is anything cooking on the KD front now.

[Lipoli390]

So, here is some context behind all this KD talk. It stems from Windy's reporting that the Wolves were very serious about trying to trade for KD at the trade deadline. But look at the Wolves situation back then! Less than 3 weeks before the trade deadline the Wolves were sitting just 1 game over .500. The blending in of Randle (and Donte for that matter) was an ongoing struggle, and he had a player option for the upcoming year. I imagine some of the initial talks started around that time. The Wolves proceeded to go on a 5-game winning streak, but then Randle had the groin injury. Who knows if the talks at that time picked up, or cooled off. But obviously, a trade never materialized.

Fast forward to now, and the Randle integration is more or less complete. The Wolves had a pretty solid finish to the season and good playoff run, powered in part by Randle. The Wolves perspective on Randle for KD is probably quite different. I doubt there is anything cooking on the KD front now.

That’s great context, Tim! Thanks.

[kekgeek]

I’m ok with trading for Durant if it gets us off long term money. I’m ok with it if Rudy is in the trade because it allows the summer of 2026 to be a completely reset.

I’m probably Rudy biggest defender on this board but I think setting our sites on the summer of 2026 could be a smart pivot for the wolves