Can the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors adopt an already proven strategy with Kevin Durant?
Kevin Durant’s trade story is getting heated. Every day, we get more and more knowledge of where the Phoenix Suns superstar will be heading ahead of next season.
Earlier this week, Kevin Durant was linking to five different NBA teams in possible trade scenarios. Then, as the week went on, I learned that the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rocket were leading the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
Things escalated even further when reports suggested that the Timberwolves were moving forward in the race to land KD.
However, in a key update, Shams Charania revealed that Durant’s preferred teams are the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat.
It is clear that Durant is open to signing long-term extensions with these three teams. However, one NBA insider believes Durant may not move away from the deal and shake up the other two teams by reluctantly extending.
Kevin Durant is about to enter the final year of his contract. Durant only commits to his favorite team list in the long run, but this is not a trading breaker for all teams.
Brett Siegel reported that both the Timberwolves and the Raptors are considering landing Durant, knowing that they may not sign a long-term deal with them.
“This is the most important part of Kevin Durant’s trade chat. The Timberwolves are one of the teams who continue to discuss the possibility of pursuing Durant without long-term commitments.
Interestingly, Shams also reported that the Suns will send Durant to the team and to the team that offers the best package.
This is similar to what the Raptors did with Kawi Leonard. It’s like trading him in the final year of his contract, winning a championship and losing him in free agency.
However, while the raptors don’t have a complete roster to compete for the championship, the Timberwolves are in the exact position when the Raptors traded with Leonard.
In 2018, the Toronto Raptors were stripped of the third consecutive playoff humiliation in the hands of the final NBA finalist, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
By trading with Kowhi Leonard, the Raptors made a massive leap. It helped that Raptors’ kryptonite LeBron James left the east, but the Raptors’ roster finally began to respond to that possibility.
Their risks worked well as Leonard led the Raptors to the NBA Championship. Leonard’s year with the Raptors is one of the best short-term stints in NBA history.
The Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in a similar position. They lost to the final NBA finalists in the last two seasons and are short in the Western Conference Finals.
Perhaps adding a superstar like Durant can give you the boost you need, even if it’s short-term. The Timberwolves can always persuade Durant to stay in a strong playoff run.
As Kevin Durant Saga continues to escalate, it is clear that the team hasn’t come out of the running. In fact, new teams are being encouraged to participate in races every day. Keep an eye out for the NBA Analysis Network. We’ll be happy to provide you with the latest updates on this developing situation.