Sources: Warriors zeroed in on Kevin Durant trade after 'extensive conversations'

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The Golden State Warriors continue to evaluate all of their options to improve their immediate outlook ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. In doing so, Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant, once a two-time Finals MVP with the Warriors, has rapidly emerged as Golden State’s main priority ahead of the deadline, multiple league sources informed ClutchPoints on Tuesday night.

Various teams have been in contact with the Suns in recent days, and the Warriors held “extensive conversations” with Phoenix about Durant over the last 48 hours, sources said. The Dallas Mavericks have also shown strong interest in Durant, according to The Athletic. Phoenix will undoubtedly open the door for other teams to inquire about Durant and offer their best packages before making a final decision.

Despite constantly shutting down all speculation of a trade involving Durant, the Suns are stuck contemplating about their future given the lack of success they’ve found with Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Ongoing conversations about trading for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler in place of Beal have gone nowhere, sources said, with the Heat unwilling to accept a deal centered around Beal and first-round draft picks.

The idea of trading Beal has also become a major roadblock in the Suns’ pursuit of Butler. The three-time All-Star and his representation have made it very clear that they will not be waiving their no-trade clause ahead of Thursday’s deadline. As a result, the idea of Butler teaming up with Durant and Booker in Phoenix continues to disappear.

Instead, the concept gaining significant momentum amongst league circles is that Butler could be moved to Phoenix in a massive multi-team trade that still sees Durant land with the Warriors.

Warriors’ trade pursuit of Kevin Durant reaches new high

As of Tuesday night, the NBA world is fixated on the idea of Durant possibly rejoining the Warriors and fellow gold medalist Stephen Curry. Many are beginning to brace for this drastic shift in the Western Conference.

“These extensive conversations have reached a new level,” a Western Conference executive said of the Warriors’ pursuit of Durant on Tuesday. “This has gone from an idea to a realistic scenario to something we are actively preparing for. Golden State actually wants to make this happen again.”

Along with the notion that Durant has become the Warriors’ main priority, various league personnel also believe that making a trade with the Suns is the only way for this organization to correct its mistakes.

“When Durant originally left, they knew that they messed up,” another West source who was granted full anonymity to speak freely on the situation told ClutchPoints. “(Steph) Curry never wanted Kevin to leave, and they’ve been trying to fix that mistake since. Now is their chance to do so and just ride this out and compete for championships until those legends retire.

“If you are the Warriors, you have to do this.”

Although there have been discussions about Durant’s willingness to make a grand return to Golden State, league sources say his only priority is to win at the highest level possible. The pinnacle of Durant’s now 17-year career came alongside Curry with the Warriors during his three-season stint. Should the Suns fully embrace the idea of trading him before the deadline, the Warriors are viewed as the only sensible destination given their winning history together.

While Golden State has ramped up its efforts to bring Durant back to the Bay Area, there are still massive obstacles to cross regarding the structure of a potential deal and moving assets. The Suns won’t be giving up their superstar forward at a discount if they are to truly trade Durant before Thursday afternoon.

Jonathan Kuminga is a player the Warriors have been reluctant to include in any trade dialogue since the offseason. However, the Suns hold interest in the 22-year-old, sources confirmed. Former All-Star wing Andrew Wiggins is another big piece of the puzzle, along with several first-round draft picks the Warriors would need to sacrifice to bring back Durant.

Regardless of whether the Warriors can truly pull off a trade for Durant, which would be equally as stunning as the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis swap, Golden State is positioning itself to add another star before Thursday afternoon. Should ongoing discussions about Durant fall apart, sources said the Warriors will immediately revisit trade talks with the Heat surroudning six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.

These ongoing trade discussions centered on Durant are expected to be the focus of the league and could very well go down to the wire. The Warriors aren’t the only team that wishes to add the superstar forward before the trade deadline, and they know it. The major question in play is whether or not Golden State will sacrifice almost all of its future assets to reclaim Durant.

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