NBA
The Suns and Timberwolves had ‘in-depth discussions’ this offseason about trading Kevin Durant to Minnesota
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated2 hours ago on July 18, 2025
After three seasons with the Phoenix Suns, he was traded this offseason to the Rockets. Initially, the Timberwolves were thought to be favorites to land Durant.
However, Durant had no interest in playing for Minnesota. As a result, a trade never happened between the Suns and Timberwolves. Recently, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shared the details of what the trade package would have been. The Timberwolves were willing to give up Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr., and the 17th pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Minnesota should be happy it did not trade for Kevin Durant
The Suns and Timberwolves were in deep discussions on a Kevin Durant trade before he said no to playing there, per @WindhorstESPN (https://t.co/seWBFS5QOW).
Phoenix would’ve received Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr. and the No. 17 overall pick from Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/dF43aIkttx
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 17, 2025
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted that the Suns and Timberwolves had “in-depth discussions” surrounding a trade for Kevin Durant. It was well-known that the Suns and Durant were willing to part ways this offseason. Several teams had an interest in trading for the 15-time All-Star. While the one-time MVP landed with the Rockets, Minnesota did what it could to acquire Durant.
The Timberwolves offered a massive trade package to the Suns for Durant. However, the 36-year-old did not want to play in Minnesota. Brian Windhorst reported that the Timberwolves offered Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr., and the 17th pick in the 2025 NBA draft. That would have been a massive haul in return for Phoenix. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Durant did not want to join the team.
The Suns had “in-depth discussions” with the Timberwolves about trading Kevin Durant for Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr. and the 17th pick, per @WindhorstESPN
The deal fell apart when KD made it clear he didn’t want to play in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/y4SNIAUM54
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) July 17, 2025
Kevin Durant had leverage this offseason with one year remaining on his deal. Any deal between the Suns and Timberwolves faded, and Houston acquired the two-time NBA champion. While the Timberwolves lost out on Durant, it may have been the right move for the team long-term. Rudy Gobert is 33, but Minnesota may have drafted his future successor with the 17th overall pick. That was the pick they were willing to give up to acquire Durant.
The team drafted center Joan Beringer out of France. He’s only played basketball for four years after making a transition from soccer. Beringer is six feet eleven and has plenty of raw potential. Additionally, the Timberwolves would have parted ways with two key role players in Donte DiVincenzo and Terrence Shannon Jr. DiVincenzo is a quality role player, and Shannon Jr. flashed skill as a rookie in 2024-25.
