Kevin Durant Trade Reportedly Got 'Serious' Consideration from Wolves at NBA Deadline

While most of the attention on Kevin Durant before the trade deadline focused on his decision to veto a return to the Golden State Warriors, another Western Conference contender heavily weighed a bid to land the 15-time All-Star.

On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast (starts at 38:40 mark), ESPN's Brian Windhorst explained the Minnesota Timberwolves gave "serious" consideration to acquiring Durant in February.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN added nothing happened at the time because it would have taken "an extraordinarily complicated series of deals" for both the Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns to pull off in order for it to happen.

Even though Durant wound up staying put during the season, the T-Wolves' interest from nearly four months ago is notable because they continue to be mentioned as a potential landing spot for him if the Suns trade him this summer.

This offseason figures to be significant in shaping the future direction of the Timberwolves after a second straight loss in the Western Conference Finals.

Their ongoing ownership saga could come to an end if the NBA approves the Marc Lore-Alex Rodriguez deal after Glen Taylor chose not to appeal an arbitration ruling from February.

The first big piece of business for the Timberwolves to take care of is retaining team president Tim Connelly, who just finished the final season of his contract.

Lore and Rodriguez taking over could help keep Connelly, as The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski noted they were the ones who recruited him to Minnesota when he left the Denver Nuggets after the 2021-22 season.

Minnesota could have some financial wiggle room with Julius Randle and Naz Reid eligible for free agency if they use their contract opt-outs. Even if both players were to opt in, ESPN's Bobby Marks noted the team would still be around $11 million under the second apron.

Randle's decision could be a pivot point for the Timberwolves. He was terrific for them throughout the season and most of the postseason, but his two worst games were in Games 2 and 4 of the West Finals (11 points on 3-of-18 shooting).

If the Timberwolves don't think Randle can be the No. 2 on a championship roster, that could provide the opening they need to make a push for Durant.

Anthony Edwards has made no secret that Durant was his favorite player growing up. They got to play together on the 2024 United States team that won gold at the Olympics.

Any deal for Durant will be complicated to pull off because of the finances involved. He is owed $54.7 million in 2025-26, the final season of his current contract, and will be eligible for a two-year, $122 million extension this summer.

For a team like the Timberwolves, who have been on the doorstep of the NBA Finals in the past two years, the risk might be worth the reward because of what he can add to their offense.

Durant averaged 26.6 points on 52.7 percent shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 62 starts for the Suns this season.