The Kevin Durant trade saga ended as the 15-time All-Star got shipped to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick, and five second-round picks. While the Minnesota Timberwolves were in the mix for Durant, it's not a bad thing they missed out on him.
Undoubtedly, Durant would fit like a glove with the Wolves, providing some much-needed shot creation next to Anthony Edwards. Nevertheless, Durant's open lack of desire to play in Minnesota halted trade talks. Despite this, the Wolves weren't 100% out on Durant, and they were even one of the three teams reported as finalists.
BREAKING: The Phoenix Suns are trading two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/EwrbA2ES9O
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2025
The Timberwolves still have a championship-caliber team
The Wolves had a reported offer of Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, the No. 17 pick, and either Rob Dillingham or Terrence Shannon Jr. This is a better package than what the Phoenix Suns ended up getting from Houston, especially considering how Gobert fits their main needs of center play and defense. Durant not wanting to play in Minnesota seemed like a deciding factor for the Wolves to back out of trade talks, and understandably so.
Minnesota's possible offer wasn't inherently an overpay. Regardless, that's not a deal you make with Durant's unwillingness to play in Minnesota. Additionally, the Wolves retain some much-needed depth and defense by avoiding a Durant trade. With Julius Randle and Naz Reid as free agents, the Wolves have more financial flexibility. Unless Durant changed his mind and the Wolves were willing to give him the extension he desired, this move didn't make sense for Minnesota.
After making the Western Conference Finals for two consecutive years, the Wolves are clear title contenders. Currently, they lack playmaking and shot creation alongside Edwards. However, they could address these needs in the draft and/or through veteran free agent signings. Furthermore, with Dillingham and Shannon entering their second seasons, these problems could be partially solved internally. Randle providing more consistent offensive production will also be central to the Wolves' ability to make a Finals run next season.
Overall, the Wolves still have the ingredients of a title team without Durant. While trading for KD would have solved some key problems, it also would have been risky given his age and injury history. With Durant desiring to play elsewhere, there was truly no reason for Minnesota to make a move. For now, Timberwolves fans can take a deep breath as they still have a championship-caliber squad.