Minnesota Sports Forum

Brian Windhorst has confirmed details regarding the Minnesota Timberwolves' attempts to acquire Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns before Durant was ultimately traded to the Houston Rockets.

Specifically, the Timberwolves' proposed package reportedly centered around:

Center Rudy Gobert.
Guard Donte DiVincenzo.
Rookie forward Terrence Shannon Jr.
The 17th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (which became Joan Beringer).

The Suns held extensive discussions with the Timberwolves regarding this offer. However, the deal ultimately fell through because Durant had made it clear that Minnesota was not among his preferred destinations, and with only one season remaining on his contract, he held significant leverage in dictating his future.

The Timberwolves were reportedly aggressive in their pursuit of Durant but ultimately pulled out of making the trade due to his disinterest in playing for Minnesota. Some reports indicate that the Timberwolves were hesitant to finalize a trade unless they knew Durant would embrace it. This caution proved beneficial, as some analysts suggest that the proposed trade package, particularly the inclusion of young talent, could have been an overpay for an aging superstar on an expiring contract.

I love TC’s eye for talent and the way he’s gone about building the team’s culture. But wow I just don’t trust him making deals for big names. Sitting here at the moment I find it hard to fathom and terribly troublesome that TC wanted to make the deal described by Windhorst. Thankfully, Durant saved TC from himself. But if this report is true, and I have to believe it is, then someone needs to intervene and take the trade keys away from Tim Connelly. If Tim comes to us and describes a small deal like the DLO trade he’d like to pursue, then we can give him the keys back for that deal only - sort of like giving your teenage the keys for a short drive to the grocery store. But if comes asking for the keys to pursue a older big-name vet, then we need to tell him no, he can’t have the car to attend the party on the other side of town.

I agree that would have been a terrible trade for the Wolves. But I don't believe it...TC is not that dumb. I wonder who Windhorst's source is...certainly nobody on the Wolves. Why would anyone in our front office offer up names they were thinking about trading. I'm guessing his source was someone from within the Suns organization, and I'm not buying it.

But yeah, thank God we didn't trade for Durant!

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 5:19 pm I agree that would have been a terrible trade for the Wolves. But I don't believe it...TC is not that dumb. I wonder who Windhorst's source is...certainly nobody on the Wolves. Why would anyone in our front office offer up names they were thinking about trading. I'm guessing his source was someone from within the Suns organization, and I'm not buying it.

But yeah, thank God we didn't trade for Durant!

I hope you’re right that Windhorst’s report is wrong. If it’s inaccurate, TC should issue a public statement saying it’s inaccurate. If he remains silent, then there’s no reason to believer the report is wrong.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:24 pm

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 5:19 pm I agree that would have been a terrible trade for the Wolves. But I don't believe it...TC is not that dumb. I wonder who Windhorst's source is...certainly nobody on the Wolves. Why would anyone in our front office offer up names they were thinking about trading. I'm guessing his source was someone from within the Suns organization, and I'm not buying it.

But yeah, thank God we didn't trade for Durant!

I hope you’re right that Windhorst’s report is wrong. If it’s inaccurate, TC should issue a public statement saying it’s inaccurate. If he remains silent, then there’s no reason to believer the report is wrong.

But that never happens, Lip, and it shouldn't...at least with a smart GM. Shams was public with all sorts of nonsense rumors during the Durant ordeal, and I didn't hear any of the GMs saying he was wrong...even though he was. TC is way to smart to engage publicly with these guys. Windy could say TC offered Ant, Rudy, Jaden and his first born child, and TC still wouldn't have said anything. I wouldn't be surprised though that he's told the new owners it's a bunch of BS. Otherwise they might fire him!

I completely agree. That is way too much to give up for Durant. And I think you know how high I am on TJ from my posts the other day. I wouldn’t give up anywhere close to that for Durant at this point in his career. I remember at the time thinking I’d be fine trading Randle and divincenzo and possibly include a second rounder. Reluctantly I’d consider swapping in rudy instead of Randle, but was worried about having a hole in the C spot. We dodged a major bullet if this is true and I agree, take the keys away and put him in time out

I don’t doubt that is what the Suns were seeking but I do doubt that TC would have relented on that.

Speaking of star trades that TC makes, has anyone else seen early reviews of the 2027 draft (the next draft the Wolves owe their first for Rudy)?

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:51 pm

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:24 pm

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 5:19 pm I agree that would have been a terrible trade for the Wolves. But I don't believe it...TC is not that dumb. I wonder who Windhorst's source is...certainly nobody on the Wolves. Why would anyone in our front office offer up names they were thinking about trading. I'm guessing his source was someone from within the Suns organization, and I'm not buying it.

But yeah, thank God we didn't trade for Durant!

I hope you’re right that Windhorst’s report is wrong. If it’s inaccurate, TC should issue a public statement saying it’s inaccurate. If he remains silent, then there’s no reason to believer the report is wrong.

But that never happens, Lip, and it shouldn't...at least with a smart GM. Shams was public with all sorts of nonsense rumors during the Durant ordeal, and I didn't hear any of the GMs saying he was wrong...even though he was. TC is way to smart to engage publicly with these guys. Windy could say TC offered Ant, Rudy, Jaden and his first born child, and TC still wouldn't have said anything. I wouldn't be surprised though that he's told the new owners it's a bunch of BS. Otherwise they might fire him!

What’s your basis for concluding those prior reports were “nonsense”? Keep in mind that this latest report from Windhorst isn’t in the midst of rumors about a possible trade; it’s a retrospective report about a prior trade. What incentive would the Suns or Durant’s camp have now to put out false story about what the Wolves offered? It’s in the past; there’s nothing to be gained - no leverage, no advantage - in disseminating false information about what the Wolves offered for Durant.

Regarding responses from GMs, actually they sometimes respond and refute or repudiate reports. If they don’t, isn’t it possible the reports are true? Also, there’s reason to not respond to reports during trade negotiations but no reason to refrain from responding to a report well after trade negotiations have terminated. Would you have believed a report that the Mavs offered Doncic and change for Anthony Davis? Of courses not; yet it happened. There is absolutely no reason to believe Windhorst’s latest report is false other than the hope that the Wolves front office would be smart enough not to offer that deal. There’s absolutely no reason for TC to refrain from publicly refuting the report now if it’s false since the Durant matter is closed and no negotiations are pending.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 18, 2025 8:29 am

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:51 pm

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:24 pm

I hope you’re right that Windhorst’s report is wrong. If it’s inaccurate, TC should issue a public statement saying it’s inaccurate. If he remains silent, then there’s no reason to believer the report is wrong.

But that never happens, Lip, and it shouldn't...at least with a smart GM. Shams was public with all sorts of nonsense rumors during the Durant ordeal, and I didn't hear any of the GMs saying he was wrong...even though he was. TC is way to smart to engage publicly with these guys. Windy could say TC offered Ant, Rudy, Jaden and his first born child, and TC still wouldn't have said anything. I wouldn't be surprised though that he's told the new owners it's a bunch of BS. Otherwise they might fire him!

What’s your basis for concluding those prior reports were “nonsense”? Keep in mind that this latest report from Windhorst isn’t in the midst of rumors about a possible trade; it’s a retrospective report about a prior trade. What incentive would the Suns or Durant’s camp have now to put out false story about what the Wolves offered? It’s in the past; there’s nothing to be gained - no leverage, no advantage - in disseminating false information about what the Wolves offered for Durant.

Regarding responses from GMs, actually they sometimes respond and refute or repudiate reports. If they don’t, isn’t it possible the reports are true? Also, there’s reason to not respond to reports during trade negotiations but no reason to refrain from responding to a report well after trade negotiations have terminated. Would you have believed a report that the Mavs offered Doncic and change for Anthony Davis? Of courses not; yet it happened. There is absolutely no reason to believe Windhorst’s latest report is false other than the hope that the Wolves front office would be smart enough not to offer that deal. There’s absolutely no reason for TC to refrain from publicly refuting the report now if it’s false since the Durant matter is closed and no negotiations are pending.

Now he could be just saving face but TC did refute this rumor after the draft when talking about the draft pretty said “don’t believe every rumor you see online”

I don't think this package of names is true, only because it makes zero sense to me The hole on defense (center) would be too big to overcome. However unless TC has more info on Rudy in that his back is a thing that is likely to be recurring and probably getting worse. That might make some sense if he felt Rudy would likely in the teams eyes be a shell of himself over the next couple of years. Maybe more often hampered and not performing up to his standards.

That seems unlikely as well. As he came back from his time off and played great to finish the year and some/most of the playoffs, did seem to underperform again against OKC though. So maybe the back flaring up and limiting Gobert will be a thing we look back on as a detriment to our chip chances.

Having TJ in there is the big one. His ability to drive and finish is something we need more of, And push the pace! Is he going to be good enough in half court sets in tightly defended playoffs though? I can see him being great in the regular season, but maybe not as good in the playoffs. His defense is still a bit unknown as well. We haven't seen enough IMO to know how good or not he can be on that end.

DDV underperformed and we'd be selling low on him at this point so that would be odd. Although he again, struggled in the playoffs. So I can kind of see some reasoning if playoffs success is the ultimate goal here.

Durant specifically is a walking bucket and he'll get his barring doubles. He's the playoff upgrade, while these names could be the opposite?

Maybe this was true?

That probably was what was offered. This was written back on June 23...

"The most likely trade that the Wolves would have sent out for Durant would have included Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, and possibly one or multiple of their young assets, including the 17th pick in the upcoming draft, Rob Dillingham, and Terrence Shannon Jr."