Appearing on NBA Today (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of ESPN provided some interesting details on the Warriors‘ “aggressive” pursuit of Suns star Kevin Durant, which included several different offers.
According to Charania, one three-team framework involving the Heat would have seen Phoenix acquire Jimmy Butler from Miami, plus Jonathan Kuminga, first-round picks, second-round picks and pick swaps from Golden State. However, once Durant made it clear that he wasn’t interested in returning to the Warriors, they instead pivoted and acquired Butler themselves.
The Heat had an opportunity to acquire Durant as well, Charania reports, but the Suns declined their offer of Butler and Josh Richardson.
Charania confirms the Timberwolves were among the teams who made offers for Durant after Golden State’s failed pursuit. ESPN’s Bob Myers said yesterday that the Grizzlies were in that group as well, though Durant also wasn’t interested in playing in Memphis.
Speaking to reporters today, including Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial appeal (Twitter link), Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said none of the stars that the team made offers for were moved prior to Thursday’s deadline. Kleiman also said Memphis wasn’t in on the Butler sweepstakes, Cole adds (via Twitter).
“I’m not sure why we were pulled into that in the first place,” Kleiman said.
Charania once again reiterated that Durant did not expect nor want his name to be involved in trade rumors this season. Plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported on Thursday that Phoenix would likely revisit Durant trade talks this summer, while ESPN’s Brian Windhorst speculated on his podcast that Durant may be seeking a new destination this offseason.
A Butler+Richardson offer is a wild indictment on his trade value
Well they declined so …….
LOL. It’s only an indictment of MIA’s myopia. Based on the number of unsolicited calls PHX got, and the assets mentioned, KD’s value appears pretty near where it was when he went to PHX.
KD is gonna run out of teams to play for. Seriously, who’s left on his list? And out of that list, who can afford him?
@bowser
KD didn’t ask to be traded, and if he is traded, it is simply because they can’t improve the team without trading Beal, who isn’t waiving his no- trade as of yet. They could get a ton for KD and rebuild.
Who’s fault is that? They asked for Beal because they didn’t want to play with Ayton and get off CP contract. Maybe him and Booker should have stopped playing gm
Must be killing KD to not be able to just come out and say “I will play for the Warriors again if they get rid of Kerr”, which he will never do because Kerr coaches the national team and also GSW being bad because of Kerr helps the Suns in the now.
KD one of my favorite of all time but man did he fumble when he was a free agent. He should’ve went to the Celtics not the warriors. If he had it would probably be a discussion of him, LeBron, and Steph as the generations GOAT. Now he’s far behind them. But man would it have had been a dynasty if he linked up with Horford, Brown, and Tatum. And they still could have traded for Kyrie. He got two rings so maybe he was right but it is fun to imagine what would have been.
Huh? If anything KD’s mistake was leaving the Warriors, who still had enough in them to win it all in 2022, meaning if KD stayed they likely would have won in 21, 22, 23 and 24.
If he went to Boston those rings would have little value. That was still going to be Tatum’s team and Brown but they would have likely had to trade Brown don’t think they had cap at that time. Either way KD went to Nets to try and win as the guy. He keeps jumping teams and killing their assets. I don’t feel bad for him, great scorer but he isn’t an actual leader and culture changer. He is just a guy for most of these teams.
Kevin Durant is the modern day Allen Iverson. Awesome scorer but not a championship player.
Barkley was right to call him a bus rider on the Warriors. The only way he will win a championship is to bus ride to another championship ready team like OKC, Denver or Boston.
Man, it was so clear that if beal didn’t work out then this is where the suns would be. Players are ganna just mail it in for the rest of the season and wait to get traded in the off season. Brutal.
Its a disaster in Phx currently no doubt, but I don’t think the future is as bleak as everyone makes it out to be
As long as they can keep the salary slots moving (trading Kd in the summer surely helps) and Ishibas wallet open they can keep the boat afloat.
Championship aspirations, probably a distant daydream now but I don’t see them bottoming out anytime soon
I agree that where they are now isn’t necessarily a big problem (as long as KD maintains his trade value). But the mode of operation that got them to where they are now was and is a problem, and, without a sea change, will likely continue to be.
I assume that Ishiba will always keep the wallet open, but will he be content to keep the boat afloat when its clear its not on a championship cruise? As opposed to, say, beaching it. Estimates of damage repair don’t account for the risk of future damage, even from pre-existing causes.
Trading 1/3 of the valuable 2031 asset for Cody Martin and a nice 24 hr fitness guard surely supports your argument
Idk tho, just trying these days has you a leg up on a 1/3 of the competition already. Im still one of the few that values a 6th place team and the value that provides to the fanbase for a good portion of the calendar year