Suns Seeking a Timberwolves-Friendly Return for Kevin Durant…

The Minnesota Timberwolves fell one round short of the NBA Finals for the second-straight season, leaving the new Lore + A-Rod ownership group — which is set to seize control of the organization later this month — with some early soul searching during their first offseason running the team.

Already deep into the luxury tax, the Wolves’ $92 million tax bill (Spotrac.com) comes in as the second-highest of any NBA team for the 2024-25 season. If Marc Lore and his bevy of minority billionaire investors, assuming they get the necessary number of votes needed later this month when the NBA Board of Governors meet.

Phoenix Suns trying to escape insane luxury tax penalties with KD trade

Minnesota’s future tax outlook, however, is more promising, after they traded Karl-Anthony Towns right before training camp last offseason (more on that below). That’s the same type of move the Phoenix Suns need to make this year.

The Ishbia-owned Suns need to save themselves from entering a luxury tax hell that, not only netted them the league’s highest tax bill in 2024-25, at a whopping $152 million, but also has Phoenix scheduled to pay an even higher $165 million in 2025-26.

Phoenix’s most likely trade candidate — who could bring back even more than what he is worth (given his age), is 36-year-old superstar and 10x All-NBA selection — is Kevin Durant. The 17-year veteran put up another standard year last season, posting 26.6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games.

The Suns are trying to keep it cool, claiming there is a world in which they hold onto KD, but they aren’t fooling anyone. At this point, it kind of feels like a Kevin Durant trade is as likely as daily ESPN shows like First Take spending an hour every day on some big city topic nobody cares about.

Minnesota Timberwolves continue rise as favorite to land Kevin Durant

Questions regarding KD trade rumors usually center around when a deal will go down and which partner the Suns + KD will ultimately choose to do business with, less about whether Phoenix will actually deal him.

Sportsbooks aren’t as sure. DraftKings has the odds to roster Durant for game one of the 2025-26 season as a virtual three-way tie between the Rockets (+280), the Timberwolves (+350) and the Suns (+350). But whether you believe he’ll eventually be traded or not, there is no doubt the Phoenix Suns are having active discussions trying to trade him right now.

Then on Tuesday, a report out of Hardwood Paroxysm — a popular site written on and operated by popular NBA reporter Matt Moore — released details on what the Suns are looking for, in those talks. And let’s just say… Moore has no cold water to dump on Minnesota Timberwolves fans hoping their team will trade for Kevin Durant this offseason…

The Suns have indicated to teams that center is at a premium for them in any KD talks. He might stick around, but their biggest interest is in solving the center position, which has been a disaster since moving on from Ayton.

Matt Moore – Hardwood Paroxysm

Well, well, well… do the Minnesota Timberwolves have what the Phoenix Suns are looking for, or what? I can’t imagine Connelly and Finch sending Naz Reid out in a deal, but he certainly qualifies as a big man. So would Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. In other words, the Suns have a buffet of bigs to choose from in Minnesota.

Related: The Minnesota Timberwolves are Stuck with Tim Connelly

Of course, there is a reason why the Rockets have the highest odds to land Kevin Durant. They have younger, and arguably higher upside big men, in 6’11” center Alperen Sengun, who averaged 19.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last season, along with 6’10” PF Jabari Smith Jr (12.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and 6’8″ F Tari Eason (12 ppg, 6.4 reb).

Where will Kevin Durant end up and how can the Timberwolves afford him?

Recently, HoopsHype.com reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves planned to continue their pursuit of Durant this offseason, and that arguably the best jump shooter from inside the three point line in basketball history is indeed interested in playing with his mentee, Anthony Edwards, and the Wolves too.

Others have reported extensive talks between the Rockets and Suns too. In other words, there is a lot of work left to do before we know more about where Kevin Durant will wind up this offseason.

But if we learned anything last year, it’s that president of basketball operations Tim Connelly — who verbally committed to staying with the Minnesota Timberwolves long term on Monday — is open to lifting and lowering the Wolves’ future luxury tax burden, depending on what he feels is best.

1 minute of Kevin Durant being clutch this season so far. pic.twitter.com/ZCcKPHabgM

— depressed goatman (@nocontextKD35) November 7, 2024

By unloading Karl-Anthony Towns on the New York Knicks, just before the start of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a 1st round draft pick, Connelly not only saved about $10 million in tax payments for Lore and A-Rod this year, but that trade also sent their 2025-26 projected luxury tax payments plummeting to No. 8 in the NBA.

Related: Karl Anthony Towns’ New Teammates Turn on Him After Playoff Exit

As of today, Minnesota sits just over $4 million above the tax threshold for next season. Spotrac.com‘s projections include the opt-in amounts on players who could choose to opt-out, like Julius Randle’s $30.9 million and Naz Reid’s $15 million, the latter of which is expected to opt-out and then sign back on a much larger deal.

It won’t be easy to fit Durant into their plans, and it won’t be cheap either. But without a doubt, Tim Connelly could find a way to get it done, if given a legitimate opportunity.