The Minnesota Timberwolves' pursuit of Kevin Durant seemed to be dead in the water after Shams Charania reported that the star forward has no desire to play in Minnesota. However, The Athletic reported a deal could still get done if Durant changes his mind. Additionally, Brian Windhorst speculated that the Wolves could have a deal done for Durant if they wanted to. Durant's lack of desire to play for the Wolves is a clear roadblock. Regardless, if Durant becomes open to landing in Minnesota, the Wolves should revisit the possibility of trading for him. Notably, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that the Wolves are reluctant to trade for Durant unless they know that he would embrace it.
Durant is a perfect fit with the Wolves but trading for him is risky
Durant's fit on the Wolves is clear. The team is on the brink of winning a championship, but lacks secondary creation next to Anthony Edwards. Durant is arguably the most gifted three-level scorer in league history, and despite his age, he is still performing at an elite level. Notably, this past season Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists with 52.7/43/83.9 shooting splits. With Edwards in his prime, the Wolves should try to maximize their chances to win a title, and Durant would do that.
Nevertheless, there's a lot of risk in trading for a soon-to-be 37-year-old with an extensive injury history. That risk becomes straight-up foolish if Durant doesn't want to be in Minnesota. Given Durant's desire not to play elsewhere, the Wolves should table trade talks for now. Without KD, the Wolves can make improvements around the edges and still have the ingredients of a championship-level team.
Durant could change his mind
While Durant doesn't want to be dealt to Minnesota now, in the NBA, things change quickly. As a result, it's possible that Durant eventually comes around to the idea of being traded to Minnesota. It's logical given how well-equipped the Wolves are to win a title.
Jimmy Butler famously didn't want to be dealt to the Golden State Warriors until right before the trade deadline. The Wolves might not be willing to offer Durant the full two-year $121 million extension he is eligible for. If this is the lone holdup, it's easy to see a scenario where the Wolves promise Durant his desired extension and he changes his mind. An extension was the holdup for the Butler trade at the deadline until that changed, and this could be a similar situation.
The Wolves package would likely be centered around Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, and young assets; this could be the best offer Phoenix gets. These factors make a Durant-Timberwolves trade possible despite the current chances being slim. Ultimately, though, Minnesota should only commit to trading for Durant if they have confirmation that he'd be open to landing there.