NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant Trade Pursuit Abandoned By Warriors; Jimmy Butler New Focus

The Golden State Warriors are reportedly giving up on their dreams of reuniting with Kevin Durant.

Per The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Sam Amick, the Warriors "have decided to move on from their pursuit of" the Phoenix Suns star. Durant was reportedly "cold to the idea" of reuniting with his former team.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Golden State is shifting its focus to Miami Heat disgruntled star Jimmy Butler. According to Stein, Dennis Schröder's expiring contract "is a central element" of a potential trade.

NBA Insider Kevin O'Connor noted that a potential trade for Butler has been picking up steam:

Durant does not have a no-trade clause, meaning the Warriors could still trade for him, but NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Wednesday that Golden State does "not want to bring in a disgruntled superstar."

Durant, who spent three seasons in Golden State and won a pair of titles and Finals MVPs, is putting up 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this year. Whether he'll be traded to another team at the deadline remains to be seen, but he won't be suiting up for the Dubs again anytime soon.

While the Warriors aren't interested in bringing in a player who doesn't want to be there, they might be getting that in a potential deal for Butler. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday that Butler "communicated to the Warriors that he's unwilling to sign an extension." Even with Butler's seeming uninterest in joining Golden State, the team thinks it is "firmly in the mix" for him, per The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

If the Dubs can't land Butler, they reportedly have a backup plan. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on SportsCenter Wednesday that failure to trade for Durant or Butler could see Golden State make a move for Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević.

Vučević might not be the All-Star-caliber player they hoped to land, but he could certainly help get them in playoff shape. Vučević, 34, is putting up 19.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game this season, shooting an efficient 40.1 percent from deep.

The Warriors are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference at 25-24 and clearly need to make a move before Thursday's deadline to change the course of their season. After missing out on Durant, they'll hope to avoid going into the second half of the season empty-handed.