Kevin Durant, Julius Randle Reportedly Weren't Seen as 'Ideal Pairing' by T-Wolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves were unsure of Kevin Durant's fit with Julius Randle when engaged in trade discussions with the Phoenix Suns, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

"The Timberwolves were concerned about trading for Durant when Minnesota wasn’t on his preferred list of destinations," Scotto reported Monday. "In addition, the Suns desired Rudy Gobert in trade talks, and losing their French defensive anchor to pair Julius Randle and Kevin Durant in the frontcourt together wasn’t seen as an ideal pairing defensively, HoopsHype has learned."

On Sunday, Phoenix traded Durant to the Houston Rockets and received Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA draft and five second-round picks.

The Timberwolves were among the teams that showed interest in the two-time champion, but he reportedly had no desire to join Minnesota.

Durant also has just one year remaining on his current contract, meaning that he could depart as a free agent in 2026 if he was moved to a destination that he didn't prefer.

His fit with Randle may have been tricky, especially since Durant has played 94 percent of his minutes at either power forward or center over the past four seasons (via Basketball Reference).

If Gobert were to be included in a potential deal with the Suns, Randle likely would have moved to center.

While Randle is a three-time All-Star who stepped up during Minnesota's run to the 2025 Western Conference Finals, relying on him to maintain an elite defense would be risky. The 30-year-old hasn't shown that he can be a consistent rim protector, averaging a mere 0.2 blocks per game during the 2024-25 season.

While the Timberwolves initially had interest in Durant, he ended up in Houston instead.