A s the Kevin Durant trade rumors continue to swirl, two teams are poised to be at the front of the line, knocking on the Phoenix Suns‘ door should the 15-time NBA All-Star become available.
NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Friday that a team from the East and another from the West are eyeing Durant should he and the Suns part ways.
“The Heat are frequently forecasted as a team, along with Minnesota, expected to show trade interest this offseason in Phoenix’s Kevin Durant,” Stein and Fischer wrote.
The Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves were among the teams with whom Durant had mutual interest back at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in April. That group also included the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs.
Heat, Suns Talked Jimmy Butler-Kevin Durant Swap
The Heat and the Suns engaged in trade talks involving Durant and Jimmy Butler, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported in February. But the Golden State Warriors also eyed a Durant reunion that complicated the conversations.
For weeks, the Suns and Warriors and Miami Heat had been playing a high-stakes poker game over Durant and disgruntled Heat star Jimmy Butler. Those talks were well-known as were Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s public and private statements over the past year that he wanted Durant to retire as a Sun. But with the Suns free-falling in the Western Conference picture, the Warriors saw an opportunity to play two hands at once.
Ultimately, the Heat sent Butler to the Warriors after Durant nixed a reunion with the Warriors.
Durant chose to stay and finish the season in Phoenix. It ended in disappointment as the Suns did not make it to the playoffs, not even the Play-in Tournament.
The epic failure of their Big 3 experiment of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal led to coach Mike Budenholzer’s firing and Brian Gregory replacing James Jones as the Suns’ general manager.
Timberwolves Aggressively Pursued Kevin Durant Trade
Getty ImagesThere’s mutual respect between Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Suns star Kevin Durant.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves were the most aggressive team to pursue the two-time champion and Finals MVP at the trade deadline after the failed Warriors trade, according to Windhorst.
“Another small market team to watch — the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Windhorst said on “Get Up” on March 6. “Anthony Edwards and KD have a very tight connection, also from the Olympics. The Timberwolves tried to pull off a crazy trade at the deadline for KD. Look for them to revisit those talks this summer.”
Edwards admitted he had mixed emotions after he led the Timberwolves in sweeping Durant and the Suns in the first round of the playoffs last year.
“I felt bad a little bit, only because he’s my favorite player of all time,” Edwards said. “I didn’t wanna send him home like that.”
They later teamed up in Team USA’s gold medal run in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Suns Change Roster-Building Approach
Getty (L-R) Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns watch from the bench.
The Suns’ disappointing finish pushed them to reconsider their roster-building philosophy.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that they are moving on from the Big 3 model, which did not result in any playoff success over the last two seasons.
“One thing that I was told is that the Suns want to transition,” Haynes said on “Haynes’ Briefs” on April 18. “They want to move away from the model that they’ve been going after for the previous two years of accumulating star talent, star players and then trying to see if it can mesh on the court. They want to move away from that and they are going to move away from that.
“So, the purpose right now and the goal moving into next season is to accumulate defensive-minded tough players. They want to play a defensive-minded, grind-it-out type of game. They want to have a product on a court that fans can appreciate.”
With Booker untouchable and Beal having a no-trade clause, Durant is the Suns’ most valuable trade chip to reshape their roster.
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