It鈥檚 Kevin Durant.
That鈥檚 the thought in many minds when trade winds circulate regarding one of the better scorers to ever touch a basketball.
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Few have put the ball in the bucket with the volume and efficiency at which 鈥淜D鈥� has done it. Even at 36 (he鈥檒l be 37 when the 2025-26 campaign tips off), Durant averaged 26.2 points per game last season with elite shooting efficiency.
How do you not trade for that guy if the opportunity presents itself? Especially Minnesota, which is searching for ways to take that next step after reaching the Western Conference Finals in consecutive seasons.
But it鈥檚 not that simple, and not just because Durant reportedly isn鈥檛 all that interested in playing in Minnesota 鈥� the reality is he doesn鈥檛 have final say on that, though the Wolves probably wouldn鈥檛 want to bring in an already disgruntled player.
But also because this is not prime Kevin Durant. While he鈥檚 still a supreme shooter, he doesn鈥檛 put pressure on the rim 鈥� Durant took just two shots per game in the restricted area this past season (for reference: Naz Reid averaged 2.8, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Donte DiVincenzo were both at 1.5) 鈥� and his defensive impact has waned over the past two seasons.
Whether the latter is due to age or Phoenix鈥檚 team-wide defensive ineptitude remains to be seen.
It鈥檚 quite possible Durant could seamlessly slip into Minnesota鈥檚 roster and perfectly handle the defensive assignments given to him on a team where talent on that end of the floor is abundant. And offensively, as Oklahoma City has demonstrated in these playoffs, it sure is beneficial to have someone who can consistently get and bury a contested 16-foot jumper when the going gets tough. Durant is also an excellent floor spacing option.
Does he fit Minnesota鈥檚 roster? Yes. For that reason, such an acquisition makes a lot of sense for the Timberwolves. But only if the roster he would come into post-trade still resembles today鈥檚.
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Rudy Gobert is a logical salary to go the other way to Phoenix in a Durant trade. He also would fill the Suns鈥� gaping hole at center. But doesn鈥檛 Durant fit best on a Wolves roster that still has Gobert? One with a defensive anchor who has steadied the ship for a few years now in Minnesota and creates a high regular-season floor?
Durant was just part of a team missing a legitimate center option in Phoenix. That didn鈥檛 go great. Ideally, he鈥檚 entering a situation where he contributes but isn鈥檛 overly leaned upon for rebounding and defense.
And Durant would alleviate Minnesota鈥檚 spacing concerns. But those largely exist with Gobert in the fold. A Durant-Gobert frontcourt feels like a good complement to one another. Swapping out Gobert for Durant may swing Minnesota鈥檚 pendulum too far the other direction.
More versatile, but also far more volatile?
Perhaps you could live with that if you鈥檙e Tim Connelly and Co. The regular season could be more complicated in a post-Gobert world, but if you could still chart a course back to the conference finals, Durant could help you break through that ceiling that the current roster with Gobert has hit on multiple occasions.
But if such a trade also features Donte DiVincenzo, the No. 17 pick in this year鈥檚 draft and Terrence Shannon Jr., now your wing depth is depleted to the point where re-signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker becomes a must, with no guarantee that it will be feasible to do so. Otherwise, you鈥檙e staring down a reserve backcourt of Rob Dillingham and Jaylen Clark behind an aging Mike Conley. That鈥檚 an even scarier proposition without the great stabilizer 鈥� Gobert 鈥� there to cover up holes.
Minnesota鈥檚 depth would be strained, as would the cupboard of assets it could use to address any potential weak points on the roster.
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Trading for Durant would be a clear championship-level swing. And believing Durant could help them reach such a goal is the only reason the Timberwolves would make such a move. The Wolves clearly believe they鈥檙e close.
Would they be closer after such an acquisition?
That depends on the cost.
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