Kevin Durant made it clear that he didn’t want a reunion with the Warriors, but the Timberwolves reportedly tried to see if he could finish the season in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves, which entered Thursday night in seventh place in the Western Conference, “made a last-ditch effort near the ᴅᴇᴀᴅline” to land Durant, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
While it’s unclear if the Timberwolves actually made an offer or what their package contained, that could’ve created a scenario where Durant paired with Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle to help inject life into a potential playoff run.
That “coldness” from Durant wasn’t expected by Golden State, though, and it prompted them to pivot and acquire star Jimmy Butler from the Heat in a multi-team blockbuster.
It also allowed Durant to remain in Phoenix by the time the 3 p.m. trade ᴅᴇᴀᴅline arrived Thursday, though the Suns sit in just 10th place in the Western Conference — clinging to the final spot in the play-in tournament — entering Thursday’s slate of games and are dealing with a “toxic” locker room after weeks filled with rumors, according to ESPN.
“I’ll use ‘toxic,’” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said Thursday during an “NBA Today” segment. “That shootaround [Wednesday], I heard, was very awkward, very weird because everyone was on pins and needles wondering what they were going to do.”
Suns star Bradley Beal, who arrived via trade in the offseason as a member of the Big 3 alongside Durant and Devin Booker, was also floated in trade rumors after shifting from their starting lineup to a role as a reserve.
After Thursday, after all the rumors, that trio of stars will remain intact for the rest of the season.
But it appears that the Timberwolves at least tried to snag Durant to ᴀssist with their quest to climb the standings across the stretch run.