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Report: Timberwolves Expected to Chase Kevin Durant Again… and He’s Interested
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- Report: Timberwolves Expected to Chase Kevin Durant Again… and He’s Interested
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
For the second-straight playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves season ended in a five-game puff of Western Conference Finals smoke, leaving the new Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez led ownership group with a bunch of questions as they enter the offseason.
The biggest task on that to-do list is re-signing president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly. I expect that to be taken care of in short order. Then, Lore and A-Rod can let Tim work his magic on all of the other things on the rest of that checklist.
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But according to the latest word on the street, once Connelly and Wolves have re-upped their commitment, they already have a target locked in on a familiar trade target, Kevin Durant .
On Thursday , Brian Windhorst teased possible Minnesota Timberwolves interest in pursuing the 11-time All-NBA superstar, after they came so close to getting a last-minute deal done at the NBA trade deadline.
Minnesota Timberwolves expected to pursue an interested Kevin Durant this offseason
Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Then Friday afternoon, sources tell Ashish Mathur (HoopsWire.com) that, not only are the Timberwolves still interested in Durant, but Tim Connelly & Co. already have plans in place and they're "expected to pursue" the 36-year-old 4x scoring champion this summer.
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And while KD doesn't have the luxury of a no-trade clause, or the control it brings, Hoops Wire's report does note that Kevin Durant does indeed have interest in playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves need another "alpha" next to Edwards to win it all, which is why sources told Hoops Wire that Minnesota is expected to pursue a Durant trade again this offseason.
A future Hall of Famer, Durant doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, but he's interested in playing for the Timberwolves, sources said.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves struggled mightily to force the Oklahoma City Thunder out of a defensive game plan that was made to do one thing, and one thing only. Shut down Anthony Edwards .
Related: Kendrick Perkins Apologizes to Anthony Edwards
Because the rest of the Wolves' best scorers are big men, their swarming defense made it impossible for Julius Randle , Naz Reid and especially Rudy Gobert , to exert their will on the offensive end. What Minnesota desperately needed was backcourt scorer, who can get his own shot and make defenses pay for loading up on Ant.
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What does Durant have left to offer the Wolves?
And even though KD's best days are now behind him, nobody fits that description better. Durant posted 26.6 points per game last season in Phoenix, just 0.6 points off his career average (27.2 PPG). He shot 53% from the field, up 2.5% from his career average, and 43% from deep, up a full 4%.
Kevin Durant Highlights vs Heat pic.twitter.com/Xscmoa90vQ
— πππππ β° (@Hatedzs) November 7, 2024
The money won't be easy to make work, given both the Timberwolves and Suns are in the second apron of the luxury tax. More than likely, a trade would have to include Julius Randle, should he opt-in to his one-year $31 million player option. With Kevin Durant scheduled to make $54 million in the final year of his current deal, more work will have to be done, in order to facilitate a deal.
Of course, if the Minnesota Timberwolves want KD that badly, then Connelly and his front office will find a way to make it work. And when Tim is running the show, I don't really worry about getting fleeced or something going wrong. That just doesn't really happen with him in charge.
