NBA rumors: Timberwolves tried to acquire Kevin Durant before trade deadline
Today at 08:13 PM
Only a short while ago, the Phoenix Suns were expected to make serious noise at the 2025 NBA trade deadline. Although they dealt Jusuf Nurkic to the Charlotte Hornets, no major moves occurred in The Desert. Bradley Beal refused to waive his no-trade clause and Kevin Durant wanted no part of a Golden State Warriors reunion, putting the franchise in limbo. The Minnesota Timberwolves still tried to get the Suns to budge, however.
They made a late push to acquire Durant ahead of Thursday’s deadline, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes. But Phoenix obviously did not waver. Trading the two-time Finals MVP and six-time All-NBA First-Team selection would probably have signaled a rebuild, which is something the organization is clearly not ready to launch.
The Suns are 25-25 and occupy the 10th slot in the Western Conference. Their inability to land a two-way star like Jimmy Butler could limit their postseason ceiling. The chances of the Durant-Devin Booker-Beal core meeting the lofty expectations that were first set in June of 2023 are rapidly declining. Pulling the plug on this experiment is not an easy thing to do, however.
Kevin Durant, Suns are stuck in a tricky spot
Since Phoenix ostensibly has no immediate path to championship contention or complete roster reconstruction, it might make more sense to stand pat for a little longer. The Oklahoma City Thunder are ruling the West with an iron fist at the moment, but the rest of the conference is unpredictable enough to inspire an iota of optimism among Suns fans.
Even so, the Timberwolves’ Kevin Durant inquiry is completely understandable. They are only two and half games above Phoenix in the standings and face great pressure to build on their playoff success from last season. Pairing Anthony Edwards with one of the greatest scorers in NBA history would have been a smart way to re-establish their championship ambitions while also helping the franchise cornerstone take the next step.
The Suns cannot rush this process, though. They must do damage control with both Durant and Beal and hope that the squad can awaken in the second half of the season. Phoenix has lost four of its last five games but returns home to the Footprint Center for a Friday night matchup with the Utah Jazz (12-37). Meanwhile, the Timberwolves will move forward with its current group and attempt to topple the third-place Houston Rockets (32-18) on Thursday.
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