The Minnesota Timberwolves' pursuit of Kevin Durant has been well-documented since the trade deadline. While appearing on The Zach Lowe Show, Michael Pina of The Ringer proposed multiple possible Durant trades. Pina first started with his Wolves proposal for Durant, which saw Minnesota trade Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, and Rob Dillingham in exchange for KD. Lowe noted the framework for this trade has been batted around league circles; this comment legitimizes Pina's trade idea a bit. Let's dive into what this trade would mean for the Wolves.
Pina's proposal would be logical for the Wolves
Durant's fit as an elite shot creator next to Anthony Edwards is clear. The Wolves' lack of consistent shot creation was a fatal flaw against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Landing Durant gives the Wolves more championship upside and solves a lot of their offensive issues. If the Wolves pull off a trade for Durant, it's unlikely they'd re-sign Julius Randle.
Pina's trade package for Durant is more than reasonable. An initial fear with the Wolves trading for KD was that they would have to move off of Jaden McDaniels. This could have ended up being a deal breaker or a poor trade for the Wolves, given McDaniels' crucial two-way impact and age. However, Pina's proposal allows them to keep McDaniels, which would make the deal a no-brainer. Rudy Gobert has displayed significant signs of offensive decline, and the Wolves would love to trade him as the centerpiece of a Durant deal, despite his defensive value.
Still, it's possible that the Suns would be interested in him, considering their lack of rim protection and overall poor defense. DiVincenzo is valuable as a scorer off the bench, and the Wolves wouldn't want to give up on Rob Dillingham after one season. Nevertheless, all things considered, this isn't too steep a price to pay for Durant. Being able to retain both the 17th and 31st picks in this year's draft gives the Wolves a chance to add some impactful young talent. This would be vital to replace Gobert's defensive value.
Durant only having one year left on his contract and turning 37 before the start of next season could make a trade proposal like Pina's realistic. Regardless, Durant is still playing at a superstar level. He averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 52.7/43/83.9 shooting splits this past season.
If that's the price for Durant, the Wolves will firmly be in the mix, and they'll be eager to make the move. The San Antonio Spurs have seemingly emerged as the favorite to land Durant. However, their offer would mostly center around young wings such as Jeremy Sochan or Devin Vassell. Pina proposed a Durant-Spurs trade that saw the Spurs give up Sochan, Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, and the 14th pick. In some ways, the Wolves' offer would be stronger, especially if the Suns hope to upgrade their main position of need. Ultimately, if Pina's proposal is an actual possibility, the Wolves should be delighted.