Reports: Kevin Durant Trade Pursued by Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat

Anthony Edwards' idol Kevin Durant could be on the way to the Minnesota Timberwolves, judging from the latest trade rumors.

Reports: Kevin Durant Trade Pursued by Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat

Kevin Durant (Image via FirstSportz)

The Minnesota Timberwolves got over the first round hump after two years of exits at that stage in 2024. They beat Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns in a sweep that stamped their arrival. But in the two playoffs since, the team has found a new hurdle to surpass – the Conference Finals. This year’s WCF proved conclusively that the Wolves need a deeper unit on offense to make a dent in the Final Four.

Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle were the only Wolves players able to generate any kind of offense for themselves. Both these players, who were quite effective in both the previous rounds, were held to a reduced output by OKC. The rest of their supporting cast, including Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, was held to infrequent contributions. The Thunder’s perimeter defense was suffocating to score against.

Would adding Kevin Durant to the roster be a good thing for their offense? Probably. It would also be a boost to their defense in some lineups. KD is capable of being a small ball 5 for stretches, and was a really effective defender even at 36. Based on their 2025 outputs, Durant is now a more effective player than peers Stephen Curry and LeBron James. He is certainly a more credentialed scorer on the playoff stage.

According to Jake Fischer’s reports, Tim Connelly and the Wolves’ front office could be exploring KD trades. While the team does not have first-round picks to offer the Phoenix Suns, who will likely rebuild, they do have assets like McDaniels, Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo. Fischer believes that the Wolves and the Miami Heat are currently leading the pursuit for the four-time NBA scoring champion:

Things are obviously fluid at this stage, but the two teams most frequently cited as potential landing spots for Durant entering Saturday’s business, league sources say, were Minnesota and Miami.

The trade rumor is undoubtedly an interesting one and something for the Suns front office to mull over the next few weeks. Anthony Edwards grew up idolizing him and would be elated to play alongside KD in a repeat of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

What offers could Miami or Minnesota put together for Kevin Durant?

Kevin Durant carries a cap hit of over $54 million for the 2025-26 NBA season. According to the latest CBA, the Suns would have to move him for a minimum of $49 million in salary. Given this, the Wolves and Heat could approach this trade in different manners.

A possible offer that the Timberwolves could put together would be centered around Rudy Gobert. Both Gobert and McDaniels could be good trade chips, but the Wolves are likelier to retain the younger McDaniels. Tim Connelly would also have to add Donte DiVincenzo and a young player or a pick to reach the required cap space.

The Miami Heat, on the other hand, have more picks to trade. The Suns are likelier to want a bunch of first-round picks over accepting the talent on their roster. However, this package would also need to have Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson or both of them together in order to match salaries. However, the Heat are more than just a Kevin Durant trade away from contention, and are likely to play the long game or chase Giannis Antetokounmpo.

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