Kevin Durant Rumors

[Lipoli390]

I still don't think there is anything cooking on the KD front right now. However, TC made the comment about avoiding the 2nd apron, with this caveat: "But if we’re going to be in it, we’re going to be in it for a good reason."

It hit me like a ton of bricks: Is KD a good reason?!?

If Randle merely picks up his player option, why not consider trading Randle, DDV and Garza for KD? You would bring back NAZ, and even re-sign NAW to replace DDV!

Anyway, just sayin'... Carry on.

Nah, the rumor is saw was KD to NY for KAT straight up. Oh and Rudy and Rob and Shannon for KD...wait, no, Ant and Jaden for KD...no wait, Rudy and Naz to Lakers for Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent. Love how any person can be a league insider and post this outrageous shit on the interwebz. Hilarious. We should have a thread just for weird trade ideas.

Yep, a lot of ridiculous ideas on the internet masquerading as reporting or expert insights. It’s just rubes venting their dumb ideas.

[TheGrey08]

Jon Krawczynski
Jaden McDaniels was not on the table when the Wolves contemplated a trade for KD in February. I don't see that changing now.
1:08 PM · Jun 11, 2025

Shams Charania
ESPN reporting: The Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant’s business partner, Rich Kleiman, are sorting through trade options - with interested teams mainly featuring Houston, San Antonio, Minnesota, Miami and New York.
11:24 AM · Jun 11, 2025

Should be a wild month or so around the NBA.

[shrink]

1. All the steam now is that PHX wants to trade Durant at the draft. This makes it much less likely that he goes to the Wolves, since the draft is a week before Randle and Naz need to opt in. If they aren’t excited about going to PHX (who can’t talk to them yet without tampering), they can simply delay signing any opt ins for a few days, and then see what the other 29 teams (including us) might offer.

2. There are rumors we had a Durant deal in place at the last trade deadline. Assuming Ant and Gobert (ineligible) weren’t in the offer, the only CBA-legal and realistic way for Tim Connelly to match salary mid-season was to trade away either McDaniels or Naz (along with Randle).

3. While HOU has more specific assets that PHX would want (like the HOU picks!), it sounds like the Suns want to make Durant happy, and recent rumors tie him to the Spurs. If HOU misses out on KD, I’m curious if they would make a consolidation offer for Texas-boy Julius Randle?

Most years sign-and-trades don’t have a lot of trade value with free agent alternatives, but this year only BRK has cap space, and nearly all teams will be competing for the playoffs this year. There could be competition in trades, as the only way to improve the team. A HOU offer could include Jabari Smith (lowered trade value because a team needs to work out his next contract and pay him) and Jock Landale - both players who could fit. Maybe we could squeeze some incentive in Reed Sheppard or Cam Whitmore, if we really want to lower payroll. HOU might pay more to reduce us as a contender in the West.

[Wolvesfan21]

Here's something I was thinking of looking at our long term players under contract.

Ant has 3 years left on his deal, after that he is likely to be a supermax max max whatever guy going from making 50 mill (if I remember correct) to likely 80-90 mill. Luka was in part I think traded because I think and smartly so that Dallas didn't want to pay him 75 mill per season. It's just super hard to win when 1 guy is taking up so much of the resources.

Now saying that, yes I will pay Ant whatever I can.

BUT, maybe our BEST CHANCE is NOW and the next 3 YEARS. We're going to have to fill in a lot of min guys down the road when Ant is 27-30.

It makes me think we got to go for it every year and the urgency to win is right now.

[BloopOracle]

Zach Lowe mentioned that Gobert and Donte for KD has been floated around in league circles. Dillingham possible added as well (I hope not). Windy mentioned that if you think you're getting KD with a package that doesn't allow them to compete right now it's not happening. I wonder if this wills be a Thibs Jimmy Butler situation where the Suns owner pushes for win now players when it's clear he should take the offer with the most picks (Hou/San Antonio)

[Coolbreeze44]

Here's something I was thinking of looking at our long term players under contract.

Ant has 3 years left on his deal, after that he is likely to be a supermax max max whatever guy going from making 50 mill (if I remember correct) to likely 80-90 mill. Luka was in part I think traded because I think and smartly so that Dallas didn't want to pay him 75 mill per season. It's just super hard to win when 1 guy is taking up so much of the resources.

Now saying that, yes I will pay Ant whatever I can.

BUT, maybe our BEST CHANCE is NOW and the next 3 YEARS. We're going to have to fill in a lot of min guys down the road when Ant is 27-30.

It makes me think we got to go for it every year and the urgency to win is right now.

I concur WolvesFan, no time to waste as Ant isn't automatically our personal property for the rest of his career. I really think TC has a good handle on this. I'm sure both he and Finch are motivated to stay in contention now.

[Wolvesfan21]

Here's something I was thinking of looking at our long term players under contract.

Ant has 3 years left on his deal, after that he is likely to be a supermax max max whatever guy going from making 50 mill (if I remember correct) to likely 80-90 mill. Luka was in part I think traded because I think and smartly so that Dallas didn't want to pay him 75 mill per season. It's just super hard to win when 1 guy is taking up so much of the resources.

Now saying that, yes I will pay Ant whatever I can.

BUT, maybe our BEST CHANCE is NOW and the next 3 YEARS. We're going to have to fill in a lot of min guys down the road when Ant is 27-30.

It makes me think we got to go for it every year and the urgency to win is right now.

I concur WolvesFan, no time to waste as Ant isn't automatically our personal property for the rest of his career. I really think TC has a good handle on this. I'm sure both he and Finch are motivated to stay in contention now.

I post this in the Durant thread because "waiting till Ant is 27" really is a dumb idea based on what he'll be making. We need to be going all in every year. So if we can acquire Durant for fair compensation, I'm all in also.

[Lipoli390]

There is no trade for Durant that makes any sense for the Wolves. To fully appreciate how nonsensical trading for Durant is we have to appreciate who he actually is today. So consider the following:

1. He’ll turn 37 before next season, which means he’s not nearly the player he was in his prime, should be expected to decline further and will likely be even less durable than he’s been. I’ve gone back and looked at NBA player stats and one thing that jumps off the page is that players in their mid-30s don’t just declined gradually, they have years in that time frame when their overall performance dips precipitously. If you want a good example, take a look at our own Mike Conley from two seasons ago to last season.

2. Durant can’t be counted on to play because of ongoing durability issues. He missed 20 games last season and has played more than 62 games in only one of his last five seasons. You don’t get more durable when you turn 37.

3. Durant was once a terrific defender, but he’s been a bad defender over the past five seasons since his Achilles injury and a terrible defendeer the past two seasons. He had a defensive rating of 118.9 last season, nearly as bad as Trae Young’s 119.4 (Source: StatMuse).

4. Durant has not proven to be a winner over the past five seasons. This past season, paired with Devin Booker, his Suns didn’t even make the playoffs. The prior season, his Suns were bounced by the Wolves in the first round. The season before his team was knocked out in the Conference Semifinals. The season before than his Nets were knocked out in the first round. The season before that his Nets were bounced in the Conference semis. The season before that he sat out from his Achilles tear. You have to go back six seasons to see him as a playoff winner when the Warriors won the title. Of course, he was paired with the same trio of stars who had previously won a championship and set the season record for most wins before he arrived.

5. He’s due $54 million. That’s a lot of money to pay a 37 year old who typically misses at least 20 games, had one of the worst defensive ratings in the League, and hasn’t proven to be a winner in six years.

6. He’d only have one year of value unless we offered him a longer term deal, which would make even less sense given his age and price tag.

And I haven’t even gotten to the issue of the players and assets we’d have to give up. Trading a ton of non-core assets for a 30 year old center with the best defensive metrics in the entire league had merit. Trading anything of value for the 37 year old Durant would not. We’d also be trading those assets to a Conference rival - another bad aspect of such a deal.

If it’s true that TC is seriously considering trading for Durant, then I might have to retract my earlier praise and expression of confidence in him. I’m hoping it’s just a lot of noise put out by the Suns and Durant’s camp for leverage.

[Coolbreeze44]

I just read a great rumor that would make me incredibly excited for next season. Minnesota, Phoenix, and Houston are working on a deal that would send KD to Minnesota and Randle to Houston. Apparently a 4th team is trying to get involved. C'mon TC!!

[60WinTim]

Shams said many team officials believe KD will be traded by the draft. It’s just not feasible for the Wolves to be a pre-draft, or day-of-draft, trade partner. They cannot do it as a 2nd apron team, which does not go away until July.