The Timberwolves were aggressive in trying to land Kevin Durant before last month’s trade deadline, but their offers to the Suns didn’t include Anthony Edwards or Jaden McDaniels, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Scotto’s sources say Minnesota wanted to build the deal around power forward Julius Randle and shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, both of whom were acquired from New York last October in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.
The Wolves are expected to continue their pursuit of Durant this summer, but Randle would have to pick up his $30.9MM player option before he could be included in trade talks. Scotto notes that Minnesota has won the last 11 games in which Randle has played, while DiVincenzo, who is signed through the 2026/27 season, is shooting 39.4% from three-point range and averaging a career-best 3.7 assists per game.
It’s worth noting that the Wolves were operating more than $16MM above the second tax apron and Durant’s $51.2MM salary is about $7MM more than Randle and DiVincenzo combined, so they would have needed to trim over $20MM in additional salary to make the deal possible, since teams above the second apron can’t aggregate salaries.
Assuming Rudy Gobert was also off the table, Minnesota would have needed to part with either Naz Reid and Mike Conley or Reid and several lower-paid players. At least one additional team would have been necessary because Phoenix is also over the second apron and couldn’t take back more salary than it sent out in any deal.
Any version of the trade would have been difficult to complete without including McDaniels’ $23MM salary. The 24-year-old forward is averaging 12.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season and is an important part of Minnesota’s defense.
The Suns expressed interest in Reid during trade talks, sources tell Scotto. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has a $15MM player option for next season that he’s expected to decline, but the Wolves intend to sign him to a long-term deal, Scotto’s sources add.
Wolves digging their own grave, death, and taxes. 3 things that will always be true.
Digging their own grave not trading a great young player on a team friendly deal for an aging star and lock room cancer
If they were going to trade Edwards they would have traded him for Luka. The team is building around Edwards and will never trade him at this time. Gobert would be traded before Edwards.
It’s pointless…
Davey is happy having Butler on their team…
Reid will be a popular FA this summer. The Wolves will have a lot of competition to sign him.
Unfortunately not enough teams have cap space any longer to have a lot of teams in on a guy at his level.
All it takes is one. Brooklyn could use him.
True
In college he was called the next KD …..
He’s starting to peak as a player now. Looks like a teal good 2way player with size. This type of player is the new NBA.
You don’t trade Jaden on that contract…
You just don’t…
Ant is an option only if you have the other pieces to make a run at the title next season… And only under that circumstance…
A Rod is destroying this team
We’ve got to keep our core of Ant, Jaden & Naz together. Hope we can hold onto Naz in the off season. We’re finally starting to figure things out post-KAT now. All the injuries this year haven’t helped us any. Hopefully we’ll find our footing now.