Wolves Reportedly 'Reluctant' to Make Kevin Durant Trade Unless He'd 'Embrace' Deal
With Kevin Durant reportedly not interested in going to Minnesota, the Timberwolves reportedly are hesitant to make a trade for him.
Per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Wolves "are said to be reluctant to go ahead with a trade unless they know Durant would embrace it."
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Durant's preferred teams are the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs. Durant has "no desire to be in Minnesota with the Timberwolves," Charania reported.
Of course, the Suns don't have to honor Durant's wishes. He doesn't have a no-trade clause, so Phoenix can, in theory, trade him to the Timberwolves if the right offer comes in.
That might not happen, though, if Minnesota can't guarantee a happy Durant. The veteran has just one year remaining on his contract, so if he ends up with the Timberwolves and is unhappy, he could be on his way after just one season. Minnesota would have to put together a convincing package to land him, but it might not be worth it for just one season of Durant.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted that the Timberwolves have been the "most aggressive" among teams in the mix for Durant, and Phoenix is "still hopeful that Durant might warm to the Timberwolves possibility," according to Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
On paper, Durant in Minnesota makes plenty of sense. The Timberwolves have been on the brink of reaching the NBA Finals the last two seasons, and Durant could be the missing piece that gets them there. Not to mention, he could play alongside a rising star in Anthony Edwards, who has expressed his admiration for Durant over the past few years.
Time will tell if Durant changes his mind about the Timberwolves, but for now, it seems he's not changing his mind.
