Minnesota Emerges as the Clear Front-runner for Kevin Durant

The whispers are turning into screams as all signs are indicating that a Durant-to-Minnesota trade may be imminent. It’s time to read between the rumors and think about what a KD and Ant pairing may actually mean for the Timberwolves.

And you thought things would calm down after the Timberwolves were bounced from the Western Conference Finals like the last piece of dry toast at a brunch buffet. No games on the calendar for four months. No late-night Ant Edwards quotes to live off. Maybe a few “Should we extend Julius?” debates to carry us through July.

Nope.

Wrong.

Welcome to the Minnesota Timberwolves Offseason From Hellfire, starring Kevin Durant, a $54 million expiring contract, and a fanbase divided.

This is not just smoke. This is volcanic ash.

The Setup: KD, the Wolves, and the Unthinkable

The Durant-to-Minnesota rumors aren’t new. They first popped up like a weird rash around the February trade deadline, when word got out that the Wolves seriously pursued a trade for KD. At the time, nothing happened. Probably for the best. The Wolves were gelling. They had that “we actually like playing with each other” vibe. They had a real shot at a Finals run.

And then the Thunder turned them into a highlight reel. That series wasn’t just a gentleman’s sweep — it was a basketball deconstruction. Ant Edwards went full “young MJ getting schooled by the Bad Boys,” and the Wolves’ offense at times looked like a high school drama class trying to run triangle sets.

So now we’re here. No title. No Finals appearance. Julius Randle and Naz Reid on the verge of opting out. NAW’s a free agent. Gobert’s offense souring like milk in the Arizona sun. And KD? He’s a 37-year-old expiring deal. One that could actually be… kinda perfect?

You know how in Breaking Bad, Walter White keeps justifying worse and worse decisions as “doing it for the family”? That’s what this trade talk feels like. A little desperate. A little dangerous. And yet… you kinda see where it’s coming from.

The Market: Who’s Actually Still in This?

Let’s be real — the market for Durant isn’t exactly buzzing like it was in 2021. The Knicks can’t really swing it. San Antonio is busy hoarding future All-Stars like a Marvel villain. Miami’s best offer is Pat Riley’s hair gel and a retired Dwyane Wade jersey. Houston could make a play, but the vibes there are more “we’re waiting for Giannis” than “let’s go get KD.”

Which leaves… Minnesota.

And not only are they in the hunt — they’re the Vegas favorite. DraftKings has their odds at -130, while everyone else is stuck in the “yeah, but how?” phase. According to Vegas, the Wolves are more likely than not to land Kevin Durant. This is not a pipe dream. This is not a Reddit trade machine post. This is very real.

The Trade: Gobert? Randle? Dillingham? Clax?

Here’s what we know (or think we know, since NBA rumors are like TikTok trends — half real, half fever dream):

There are two rumored frameworks, now involving the Brooklyn Nets and their bevy of cap space as facilitators:

1. Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo to Phoenix, Julius Randle to Brooklyn, Nick Claxton and KD to Minnesota.
2. Randle to Brooklyn, Claxton and DiVincenzo to Phoenix, Durant to Minnesota.

Again, these are just rough frameworks. We’ll let Tim Connelly and the capologists figure out the rest of the details. Could Dillingham be involved, the #17, both? Of course. But the meat of both deals work in principle with a bit of finagling. Both would keep Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid in town. And that’s huge.

Would it sting to lose Rudy? Yes. The big Frenchman has anchored the defense and taken this team from “fun little offense” to “actual juggernaut.” But let’s not act like issues haven’t surfaced in the past two Conference Finals with Rudy on the floor. Once the third round hit, it was like running a 4-on-5 half-court offense with a really big shadow.

Would it hurt to lose Randle? Slightly less so. He gave you points and some toughness, but let’s be honest — things appeared a bit disastrous for Minnesota early on in 2024-25 until things started clicking for Julius in April and May. And if you’re replacing him with Durant? You don’t think twice. You hand him a thank-you note and a plane ticket.

Would it hurt to lose DiVincenzo and possibly Dillingham? Sure. Donte’s a two-way pest and shot-maker. Dillingham is more potential than player right now, but he might pop. That being said, you’re trading supporting cast for a lead actor.

You’re basically giving up a couple of nicely framed photos to hang a Picasso on the wall.

The Cap Gymnastics (a.k.a. the “Tim Connelly, Please Figure It Out” Section)

There’s no need to dive deep into second apron rules, base year compensation, or collective bargaining acrobatics — that’s why NBA teams have salary cap nerds and why I do not.

The Brooklyn addition here is brilliant. They have cap space. They have no direction. They just watched Mikal Bridges go to the Knicks and probably want to do something. Claxton helps fill the center void if Gobert is on his way to Phoenix. Durant gets his Minnesota moment. Ant gets to play alongside his childhood hero. Everyone walks away with something that makes sense — or at least doesn’t make people throw their phones.

The Clues Are There…

Rudy Gobert posts a cryptic Instagram with his arms around his teammates, captioned “to be continued” with a wolf emoji and a trophy. You don’t need to be on the Zapruder Film Committee to interpret that. Either Rudy knows he’s staying — or he’s auditioning for a role in Love Actually 2: Twin Cities Edition.

Then there’s Naz Reid being spotted having dinner with Tim Connelly. Look, I don’t want to start wild speculation, but you don’t go to dinner with the GM in the middle of trade season unless there’s some real talk happening. (Unless the food is really good, which is also possible.)

Point is, this is all pointing one direction. KD. Wolves. Possibly this week.

What If This Actually Happens?

Let’s imagine it’s real.

Ant, Jaden, Naz, KD, Claxton…

That’s length. That’s defense. That’s shooting. That’s switchability. That’s scoring. That’s Ant with the help he’s needed — not a giant paint-clogger, but a killer scorer who doesn’t need the ball all the time.

It’s not perfect — you still need a backup point guard, still need depth, still need to pray KD’s hamstrings don’t detonate mid-April — but it’s close.

And best of all? You’re keeping the guys that matter. Edwards, McDaniels, and Reid. The core stays. The ceiling raises. The West gets a little more terrified.

Final Thoughts: The Wolves Are Actually Doing This Thing

Say what you want about the KD trade — and I’ve said plenty — but this is what it looks like when a team actually goes for it. The Wolves are no longer the team that sells second-round picks for cash. This isn’t the Kahn era. This isn’t Wiggins and Rubio and what could’ve been. This is real.

It might blow up. Durant could age in dog years. The team could lose its depth and flame out in Round 2. And yeah — betting on a 37-year-old superstar in 2025 is basically rolling the dice in a hurricane.

But still… if there’s ever a time to take a swing?

It’s when your 23-year-old guard just proved he might be that dude.

It’s when you’ve got a front office that actually knows what it’s doing.

It’s when KD — as flawed and injured and unpredictable as he’s been — is still putting up 27 points a night.

And if it goes right? If Ant levels up and Durant gives you three more high-level years?

That’s a team no one wants to play.

That’s a team with real banners-in-the-rafter potential.

That’s the Wolves — no longer building toward something, but finally being something.

So yeah. This offseason isn’t boring. It’s about to be wild.

Buckle up.