Kevin Durant Trade Between T-Wolves, Suns Reportedly Not 'Close' Amid NBA Rumors

Despite rumored interest, the Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly not on the verge of a trade for Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant.

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the T-Wolves likely have interest in Durant like they did around the time of the trade deadline back in February, but "nothing is close" to getting done between Minnesota and Phoenix as of Saturday.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said Durant could be dealt in a matter of days, and he named the T-Wolves, Miami Heat and Houston Rockets as the top contenders to land him.

NBA insider Jake Fischer followed up Charania's report on Saturday by mentioning the Timberwolves and Heat as Durant's main suitors as well.

Durant has been rumored to be available ever since the trade deadline, and after the Suns went 36-46 and missed the playoffs, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that he is on the move.

KD is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2025-26, and if the Suns don't anticipate contending for a playoff spot and a championship, there may not be much value or logic in keeping the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer in the fold.

Minnesota is a team that has been on the precipice of the NBA Finals each of the past two seasons, only to fall just short.

In 2023-24, the Timberwolves went 56-26, which was their best record since the 2003-04 season. They also made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, but they fell to the Dallas Mavericks in five games.

That prompted the T-Wolves to make a major change during the offseason, as they dealt five-time All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for a package headlined by Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

Minnesota got off to an uneven start this season, but it eventually recovered, finished 49-33 and returned to the Western Conference Finals. Once again, the Timberwolves were unable to reach their first NBA Finals, losing in five games to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the WCF.

The T-Wolves are currently set to return several key players in superstar guard Anthony Edwards, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year in center Rudy Gobert and a versatile forward in Jaden McDaniels.

However, Randle and center Naz Reid both have player options they can decline to become free agents, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker is set to hit free agency as well.

Guard Rob Dillingham didn't play much of a role for the Timberwolves as a rookie this season, but they selected him eighth overall in the 2024 NBA draft, but he could potentially be a key piece of a trade for KD, along with draft picks.

If the T-Wolves could find a way to secure a trio of Durant, Edwards and Gobert entering next season, there won't be many teams capable of matching that core.

On top of that, Edwards' respect for Durant is well documented, as he has said that he considers KD the greatest player of all time.

Although current indications suggest a trade between the Timberwolves and Suns isn't yet within sight, the aggressiveness the T-Wolves displayed last season coming off a WCF loss indicates they may at least be willing to make a huge move such as acquiring Durant.