Confirming earlier reporting that said the Timberwolves were among the teams who inquired on Kevin Durant prior to the February 6 trade deadline, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) reports that Minnesota was calling potential trade partners in the days leading up to the deadline to explore the possibility of getting below the second tax apron in order to aggregate salaries for the Suns star.
While there was little – if any – “tangible urgency” in Minnesota for major in-season changes to the roster, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to explore the idea of acquiring Durant, according to Fischer, who notes that the veteran executive has a history of operating aggressively on the trade market.
Although nothing came of the Wolves’ pursuit of Durant this month, Fischer wonders if it was connected at all to the impending ownership takeover by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez and whether the team might renew its pursuit of Durant during the offseason if and when Lore and Rodriguez have officially assumed control of the franchise.
Here’s more from Fischer on the Wolves:
- Multiple cap strategists from rival teams have suggested to Fischer that it might be in Julius Randle‘s best interest to exercise the $30.9MM player option he holds for the 2025/26 season. Randle, who has battled injuries over the past two seasons and has seen his production slip in Minnesota, seems unlikely to match that first-year salary on the open market if he opts for free agency.
- Those same camp strategists consider it likely that Naz Reid will turn down his own $15MM player option this offseason in search of a more lucrative longer-term deal, says Fischer. However, as Fischer writes, teams like Cleveland, Dallas, and San Antonio – who were interested in Reid the last time he neared free agency – may be less inclined to pursue him this time around. The Cavaliers and Mavericks have since added other players to their respective frontcourts, while the Spurs – who were hoping in 2023 to add a floor-spacing center to play alongside Victor Wembanyama – have since begun playing Wembanyama at the five instead.
- There’s an expectation that the Wolves and Reid will likely continue their relationship beyond this season, but Nickeil Alexander-Walker‘s future in Minnesota is more uncertain, Fischer writes. Since being traded to the Wolves in 2023, Alexander-Walker has emerged as an excellent point-of-attack defender who can hit outside shots (he has a .393 3PT% as a Timberwolf). Some league executives believe his next contract could get as high as $20MM per year, according to Fischer, which could make life difficult for a Minnesota team that already has plenty of sizable contracts on its books.
there will be a bidding war for Naz. T-wolves will need to open up their pocket book to resign him. A big man that can shoot as well as he does will probably double his earnings this off season.
He’s going to the Nets this summer. I would not be shocked. Nets have a lot of money to spend and he’s from NJ.
Nets are in a great position to turn things around quickly and already look like an attractive destination for FAs. This young core plus Naz plus Ty Jerome plus 4 FRPs will vault next szn’s team into contention. And they’ll be in a great position to grab the next star who could be looking to make a move.
Agreed. 4yrs/120m for Naz this summer from the Nets on Day 1 of FA.
I got Naz at 4/105
Naw getting the DDV – 3+1 player option full MLE which equates to around a 4/60 all said and done today if he picks up his 4th year option.
So pretty in line w yall, only Q now becomes can Minny gulp down the bill for both this offseason? Im skeptical
Ty Jerome plays for Cleveland.
He’ll be a FA and ready to find a situation where he’ll be running his own team… and btw another NY guy.
Ah, I thought you were saying he was already there, so gotcha. It’s hard to predict a signing with absolute certainty though, so I’d take the field over Brooklyn. The field wins probably 95+% of the time when predicting free agent destinations that aren’t re-signings.
The reason the Nets will be favorites to sign any top FAs this summer is because cap space.
I understand that. It still is more likely the field signs him than the Nets. Not every player can go to Brooklyn.
Yes, of course the Nets won’t sign every big FA this summer, but they are likely to be big players in the market and will get one or more FAs, again because they have more cap space than everyone else. So we’re just stating the reason why they’re being mentioned in a lot of FA discussions.
The Nets already have Claxton and Sharpe at center and Johnson at PF if they don’t trade him. Trading Johnson wouldn’t make much sense if they’re going to try to turn it around in one season. If they’re going to spend that cap space then spending it on an impact player at a position of need would make more sense.
I don’t think they’ll spend it on long term players. They’ll use the cap space to sign some guys they can turn into picks before the trade deadline and take on bad contracts to acquire more picks for another season.
Sharpe’s salary comes off at the end of the year and they could resign him to a reasonable backup center salary and move Cam Johnson to the 3 (if they don’t trade him first). Naz would be the starting PF.
CamJ is definitely more of a 3.
Cam Johnson has never moved the needle for anybody.
He’ll be 29 yrs old, career 12 ppg, never played a full season.
He’s a solid rotation player, not a starter, on a contending team.
Averaging 19 ppg on 60/41/90 shooting has become a solid rotation piece that could certainly play on a contender.
@arc89
According to my formula
Naz Reid current market value is 4 years $100 million
Alexander-Walker current market value is 4 years $70 million
NBA luxury tax line for 25-26 season $188 million
Wolves won’t be able to sign both
If sign Naz Reid only
Wolves total salary would be $198 million
If Warriors match the offer for Kuminga, Warriors total salary would be $198 million
I am looking at Naz in a bidding war since there is a lack of centers available. Walker will not have the bidding war like Naz.
Alexander is sitting at a cozy minus 29 in his past two games. I know everyone is obsessed with 3 and D, but there’s no way his market gets that high. He’s like a 4-48 guy, tops.
The mid level exception is going to be a little north of $14 mill
He’s not getting less than that
Gonna need a little more than citing the last two games to prove your point. I think he’s worth about 4/$60M.
Durant in Minny is actually a good idea imo. Durant, Rudy, AE is a solid big three. I agree Randle probably picks up his option. Reid is a guy they should keep. Not worth more than Randle. Definitely should revisit KD in the off season.
Naz is 100% worth more than Randle which is why Randle will opt in for 1 year 30 and naz will get about that for 4 years
Trade Deadline trade idea (two weeks ago)
The Rockets would give up all Suns picks and players like Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith, Tate, Adams, Jeff Green for Durant.
This summer
Adams and Tate are likely to walk for nothing if Rockets keep VanVleet.
IHart was overpaid. Cause he filled a huge need for Thunder. This was all about timing. Naz is not worth more than Randle. And no young team is paying him. When they are better off developing talent. Can’t tie up money on a rebuilding team. Unless its a young star in the making. Thunder had cap to sign IHart and nade sure they got him. No one needs Naz more than Minny. 20 mill would be most I pay.
Plus Im not paying someone that much if he’s not starting. I pay hom 20-22 mill. Then Im moving Randle.
KnickerbockerAl said:
> IHart was overpaid.
There are at least 5 NBA teams that would give Hartenstein the same ~$29M/yr for 3 years.
Knicks decided to pay Anunoby ~$45M/yr for 5 years instead of keeping Hartenstein for 1/2 that.
Fatal mistakes. Knicks coulda been a contender.
Name them …. Thunder needed a big. And considering Chet went down. It was a good signing. IHart could be paid more as a FA. I believe most Knicks could offer was like 18 mill. Knicks tried to sign him for one yr. Therefore renegotiate following year. Thats when Thunder opened their books lol. I love IHart. Wish we still had him. He is not worth 30 mill. Except maybe to OKC. I’m not hating. I’m happy for him.
Al-
It’s incorrect that OKC “overpaid” for Hartenstein as a $30M/yr free agent. It doesn’t matter what you or I think he’s really worth. If there weren’t competitive offers at or near $30M, OKC wouldn’t have paid it.
You are right, and I stand corrected, that the Knicks couldn’t offer Hartenstein more than $18M/yr because of rules on Early Bird Rights.
There wasn’t any offers. I doubt many know iHart better than real Knicks fans. His stats don’t even merit 20 mill. He was Mitchs backup lol. He had a great year in NY. And it was Thibs who helped him break out. OKC overpaid cause they wanted him. I applaud them for that. IHart wanted to stay in NY.
I m the only one here who posted. Last yr after the TD. That Thunder should sigh him. Cause Knicks couldn’t offer much. I wrote how a big would help them and Chet. Im not a poster here. Im an informed baller. Who knows this game well. Its why I am usually way ahead of the curve .
And look this up. Also posted last yr. That up until then. Wiseman had better stats than IHart . So yeah … it is my opinion. But I say what I mean based on facts and what I see. Some of us have real vision for talent. I follow basketball religiously lol. So trust that I back everything I say. .The more you know me. The more you will see that.
It is not incorrect …..
link to google.com
link to hoopsrumors.com
I can even find the obe where I said ge should go to Thunder. It will take awhile lol. Balling is my passion
So, OKC paid Hartenstein $12M more than he was worth when there were no other offers? Thanks for explaining that.
> Some of us have real vision for talent. I follow
> basketball religiously lol. So trust that I back
> everything I say. .The more you know me. The more
> you will see that.
No need to remind us, you tell us all on a regular basis.
If new ownership doesn’t want to get off to a bad start with the fans they’d better do whatever they can to hold onto Naz Reid. Dude has his own cult following. He is a fan favorite!!
Tough situation here to navigate for Minny, one that fellow small-mid market teams might want take take note of next CBA round
By trying to stifle large market teams by crying poor you have ultimately just shot yourself in the foot when it becomes YOUR time to shine
I find it kinda hilarious in a dark way this new CBA is really hurting teams like Den Mil Minny (mid markets) the most today while large market teams like the Lakers Clippers and GSW are actually benefitting from it just based on timing .
Careful what you ask for
Yep, too predictable. Only problem is these myopic geniuses haven’t just hurt their own teams, as is their custom, but the league’s end product.
At least to most of the public, the league’s product is their best teams on the court playing each other for the championship. Most of the public knows very little about the salary cap, and could care about it even less. But they might have enjoyed watching a defending champion DEN team (undepleted) take on BOS in last year’s Finals, vs the mismatch they were given.
Yup and when GA leaves this summer it wont be because he’s seeking an ocean to live near , it will be because Silver knocked his current team at the kneecaps with a mallet
I found the little grace period awarded very strange as well.
Other leagues (inc NBA past) allow a couple years to comply after such drastic measures to their CBA’s , Silver brought in a wrecking ball day 1 , have to feel a little bad for Den and Mil fans currently, they got robbed
Drunk with power, on the one hand, and frustrated about their continued inability to hit the target, on the other. Maybe they didn’t want to wait for the results this time by giving a grace period. In any event, the alliance did this deal really quick.
The NBA has another problem that has ridden shotgun with their parity issues, that maybe other leagues haven’t faced. A talent pool insufficient to support the bloated league they created to welcome it. The global talent pool simply hasn’t expanded at the anticipated rate, or at anything close to the rate of the expansion of the global consumer markets for the product. At least as significant, the collapse of the US pre-professional player development system has continued to accelerate. It’s hard to impose real pricing discipline in player personnel markets with overall caps, when the participants are fighting over a pie that can’t feed them all.
TWolves are set with a superstar in ANT who plays both ends of the floor and have arguably one of the best defenders with Gobert. You’ve then got McDaniels who is a near elite defender who I think should be the 4. Which makes Randle abit more redundant.
Considering he likely opts in and Naz opts out I’d be looking to retool and trade Julius. They would then have a need at the 1 and 3. Conley is too old and Dillingham is too young. They need to add shooting and a good second option.
As for some possible targets, Miles Bridges would be a great 3. He plays both ends, can shoot really gets out in transition and also is a good shot maker in the clutch. Hornets could also do with Randle at the 4 giving more space and minutes for Ball-Green-Miller and guys like Salaun, Mann and Smith Jr.
Maybe a little out of reach possibly but Coby White and Patrick Williams. White would be a great partner to ANT cause he can play both on ball and off ball, has size, can shoot and holds his own defensively. Pat Will also needs a change of scenery but he’s a consistently good shooter and has potential to be great on defence.
Even Jerami Grant wouldn’t be a bad shout. He’s a good shooter, good defender and he’s wasting away in Portland. Slot him back in at the 3, he’s probably not the ideal second option but maybe you swindle Rob Williams into the deal to be the Naz replacement.
The first two options should be their offseason plan but the third would be the fall back option.