Scotto’s Latest: Thunder, Pacers, Kings, Barrett, Rockets, Wolves, KD
Their seasons ended less than 24 hours ago, but the Thunder and Pacers will have significant roster decisions to make in the coming days, and executives around the NBA are keeping an eye on both teams to see how they’ll handle them, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The Thunder have the ability to essentially run it back with their same roster, since 13 of their players are on guaranteed deals for next season, while the team holds cost-effective options on the other two. However, Oklahoma City also has multiple first-round picks at No. 15 and No. 24 and could be facing a roster crunch.
According to Scotto, rival executives believe the Thunder may either trade the No. 24 pick for a future first-rounder or use it to select a potential draft-and-stash prospect like Hugo Gonzalez or Noah Penda. Execs also view former lottery pick Ousmane Dieng as a possible trade candidate as he enters the final year of his rookie scale contract, Scotto notes.
Meanwhile, with Tyrese Haliburton potentially sidelined for all of the 2025/26 season after tearing his Achilles, people in league circles are wondering if the Pacers and team owner Herb Simon are still prepared to go into luxury-tax territory in 2025/26 to re-sign Myles Turner and keep their roster intact, says Scotto. There’s an expectation that rivals will inquire this summer on the trade availability of role players like Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker, Scotto adds.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Although a Sacramento Bee report over the weekend indicated that the Kings haven’t yet engaged in trade discussions about Malik Monk, Scotto hears from sources that the team has gauged the market on both Monk and Devin Carter as it seeks a potential first-round pick and a point guard upgrade. Sacramento was unwilling to move Carter when the club talked to the Nets about Cameron Johnson prior to the trade deadline, Scotto writes, but Scott Perry has replaced Monte McNair as the Kings’ head of basketball operations since then and may not be as attached to last year’s No. 13 overall pick.
- According to Scotto, the Raptors have continued to gauge the trade market for forward RJ Barrett. The former No. 3 overall pick hasn’t come off the bench since his rookie year in 2019/20, but could be the odd man out of Toronto’s starting five with Brandon Ingram set to make his Raptors debut this fall.
- Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, who spent a season with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, was in favor of the Celtics trading for Durant during his time in Boston and advocated for Houston to acquire the star forward this summer, per Scotto. In addition to reuniting with Udoka, Durant will be teaming up again with friend and fellow Texas alum Royal Ivey — the Rockets assistant interviewed for the Suns‘ head coaching vacancy and turned down interest from the Grizzlies and Spurs for assistant coaching positions, Scotto reports.
- In addition to being concerned about Durant’s lack of enthusiasm for Minnesota, the Timberwolves didn’t want to lose Rudy Gobert, a Suns target in trade talks, which is why the Wolves didn’t end up beating Houston’s offer for the 15-time All-Star, Scotto explains. Giving up Gobert and potentially having Durant play alongside Julius Randle in their frontcourt wasn’t considered an “ideal pairing defensively” for the Wolves, Scotto writes.
Trade Rumors: Lakers, Bucks, Durant, Wolves
The Lakers‘ obvious need for a center is hurting their chances of finding one, according to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. Sources close to the team and around the league tell Irwin that the offseason pursuit of a big man has been frustrating so far because rival clubs are hoping to take advantage of L.A.’s predicament.
“The worst spot you can put yourself in is trying to negotiate while everyone knows about your desperation,” a former executive told Irwin. “The whole league knows that not only do the Lakers need a starting center and probably a backup, but they need to bring someone in who Luka (Doncic) is going to want to play with. They basically have to hope someone else reaches their current level of desperation so that the talks can be held on even footing.”
Jaxson Hayes, who’s headed toward free agency, took over as the starting center after Anthony Davis was traded to Dallas in February. He put up solid numbers during the regular season, but was ineffective in a first-round playoff loss to Minnesota and wasn’t used at all in the deciding Game 5.
Irwin hears from sources close to the team that the Lakers hope to trade for their starting center and use the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to sign a backup. According to Irwin’s sources, L.A. has been involved in discussions with the Nets about Nic Claxton, the Trail Blazers about Robert Williams and the Jazz about Walker Kessler. He adds that potential free agent targets include Brook Lopez and Clint Capela.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Bucks remain confident about keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo and will focus on trades and free agent signings to complement the two-time MVP, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Khris Middleton trade in February moved Milwaukee below the projected tax line for 2025/26, creating access to the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Bucks also have the $5.1MM bi-annual exception, though ESPN’s story points out that it will be difficult financially to use both exceptions while re-signing Lopez and Bobby Portis.
- The Suns are finding it hard to get value for Kevin Durant because there isn’t an “open market,” explains Brian Windhorst of ESPN (YouTube link). Durant has manipulated the market by insisting that he’ll only sign an extension with Houston, San Antonio or Miami, and Windhorst says that advantage has given those teams leverage to limit their offers. He also points out that Durant is Phoenix’s only major trade asset due to its insistence on keeping Devin Booker, so it’s important to maximize the return.
- The Timberwolves seem more likely to keep the 31st pick in the draft than the 17th, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. The first-round pick, which was acquired from New York last fall, comes with a $4.2MM salary, which could hamper the effort to re-sign Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and possibly Julius Randle while staying below the second apron. Hine hears that the Wolves’ front office likes having the first pick in the second round and expects to get a lot of offers between the first and second days of the draft.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Nuggets, Randle, Reid, Wolves
The Trail Blazers have a lot of decisions to make this summer, writes Sean Highkin for Rose Garden Report (Substack link). The ostensibly still-rebuilding team has 10 players who will either be extension-eligible or on an expiring contract for the coming season.
The amount of talent on the roster makes predicting extensions more complicated, with Anfernee Simons being a prime example. A young veteran who’s only 26 years old, Simons has reached a more consistent level as a scorer than Scoot Henderson or extension-eligible Shaedon Sharpe, making moving him less of a priority than fans around the league might think.
Deandre Ayton is another interesting case, as his presence prevents Donovan Clingan from starting, but his on-court production may be worth more to the Blazers than what he would return in a trade.
Sharpe and Toumani Camara are perhaps Portland’s most interesting extension candidates. Sharpe has the skill set to be an offensive star, but inconsistency, injuries, and a lack of attention to detail have kept his game inconsistent thus far, which could make it hard for him and the Blazers to find a middle ground number.
Camara, fresh off being named to the All-Defensive second team, could lock in a four-year extension worth up to $90MM, but as a former second-round pick with a valuable skill set, it might be worth betting on himself in the hopes of receiving a bigger payday next summer.
We have more news from the Northwest division:
- The NBA draft is five days away and free agency is hot on its heels. Given their need to make smart, cost-controlled roster moves on the margin, it’s problematic that the Nuggets still don’t have a permanent general manager, argues Sean Keeler of the Denver Post. The team currently has Ben Tenzer as its interim GM, but with the draft and free agency around the corner, there’s a need for organizational clarity — and for other teams to know who they’re dealing with if they come calling for trades. Former Nuggets president Pete Babcock spoke to Keeler on the subject. “The standard operating procedure is (to) have someone in place,” Babcock said. “If their job was to put the puzzle together and build the team, you want them to be in place before the draft, so they’d have a say as to how things are going to come down.”
- It seems unlikely that the Nuggets will move any of their starters this summer, writes Spotrac’s Keith Smith in his offseason preview. The team will largely have to rely on internal development for improvement, though if they do make a move or choose not to bring back one of Russell Westbrook, DeAndre Jordan, or Vlatko Cancar, they could have their $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to add another depth piece. Guerschon Yabusele, Tyus Jones, and Larry Nance Jr. are among the names floated by Smith.
- Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch says he’s expecting both Julius Randle and Naz Reid back with the team next year, says The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski (via Twitter). Both forwards hold player options for 2025/26, which puts the decision at least partially out of the Wolves’ hands, but Minnesota is in win-now mode and would have few mechanisms to replace the contributions of the duo if they were to depart, so retaining them will likely be a high priority.
- The Timberwolves will be looking to revamp their business operations department, as CEO Ethan Casson and COO Ryan Tanke are stepping down amidst the team’s change in ownership, reports Krawczynski (via Twitter).
Shams: KD Has ‘No Desire’ To Be Traded To Timberwolves
Appearing on SportsCenter (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania said Suns star Kevin Durant has no interest in joining the team that is rumored to be the most aggressive in pursuit of him.
“I’m told Durant has no desire to be in Minnesota with the Timberwolves,” Charania said. “So how does that shape how the Minnesota Timberwolves and other teams that could have interest, that are outside of his preferred list, decide how to move forward with these Durant discussions?”
In an NBA Today appearance that included Charania, Brian Windhorst and Marc J. Spears (YouTube link), Charania indicated the Suns have some interest in Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. Windhorst anticipated that the Timberwolves’ trade offer for Durant could drop if they’re unsure about their ability to sign him to an extension. According to Spears, Durant had the Knicks at the top of his wish list but the Knicks weren’t interested in pursuing him, so the Rockets, Heat and Spurs became his fallback options.
The Suns obviously don’t need Durant’s permission to trade him to the Timberwolves, but mutual respect between Phoenix’s front office and the longtime All-Star could play a role in where he winds up. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) speculates that Durant and his rep may need to strongly discourage a team such as Minnesota from trading for him in order for him to land at a preferred destination.
Windhorst also previously identified the Raptors and Clippers as teams that are “lurking” in the Durant trade saga.
As for the Spurs, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype names Jeremy Sochan, as well as Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson, as players who could be obtained on the trade market. Sochan, who averaged 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists this season, is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. Throwing a 22-year-old player into the mix could sweeten the offer for Durant from San Antonio’s perspective.
Spurs, Rockets, Heat On Kevin Durant’s Wish List
The Spurs and Rockets are Kevin Durant‘s preferred trade destinations, league sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic, who provides an overview of the status of trade talks along with Athletic writers Kelly Iko and Jon Krawczynski. Amick cautions that Durant’s desire to play in San Antonio or Houston doesn’t mean he’ll wind up in one of those cities, as there are “complicating factors” with both teams that make deals difficult.
Shams Charania of ESPN shares a similar report, but says Durant is interested in joining the Heat as well as the two Texas teams. He states that “people across the NBA” have been told that those are the three teams Durant would consider signing an extension with. He has one year left on his contract at $54.7MM.
Charania notes that once the trade is complete, Durant will become eligible on July 6 for a two-year contract extension worth up to $122MM. If he waits until six months after the trade becomes official, the extension rises to a potential $124MM over two years.
Sources tell Charania that Durant is being pursued by six to eight “seriously interested teams.” The Suns have informed those teams that they plan to make the best deal for themselves, even if Durant winds up somewhere he doesn’t want to go.
Within the Athletic’s report, Iko notes that the Spurs have a base of young talent, no current cap worries and a wealth of draft assets (13 first-round picks through 2032), putting them in position for a “timeline-altering move” to speed up the building process around Victor Wembanyama. League sources tell Iko that San Antonio remains unwilling to part with the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, which is expected to bring Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, but the Spurs would make the 14th pick available.
Echoing a report earlier today by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Iko states that Phoenix has been underwhelmed by offers constructed around Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes. Durant’s desire to join the Spurs will factor into the equation, but Iko sounds skeptical that a deal will happen unless their offers improve.
The Rockets are in a similar situation, Iko adds, as a young team that has to decide how badly it wants to disrupt its current timeline to add an aging and expensive player, even one as productive as Durant. He notes that Houston and Phoenix have been engaged in talks regarding Durant for more than a year, but the Suns’ decision to restructure their front office, with Brian Gregory taking over as general manager, have affected those negotiations.
Sources tell Iko that originally Phoenix was determined to regain control of its first-round picks that Houston owns in 2025, 2027 and 2029, and later switched to asking for multiple young players such as Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green. Team and league sources tell Iko that Jabari Smith Jr. has recently become the focus of the Suns’ pursuit. Iko hears that Green wants to stay in Houston and atone for his poor playoff performance and that the Rockets’ front office hasn’t shown much interest in breaking up its young core in pursuit of Durant.
Krawczynski discusses the challenge of bringing Durant’s contract to Minnesota, which is currently above the second apron, just like Phoenix. Wolves sources tell him that the team won’t part with Jaden McDaniels in a Durant trade, which means Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert would have to be included to help match salaries if Minnesota can regain the ability to aggregate by dropping below the second apron. Randle has a $30.9MM player option for next season that he would have to agree to pick up before being included in a deal, while Gobert is under contract for $35MM. Krawczynski notes that either player would be a solid addition alongside Devin Booker and could help the Suns get back into the playoff race.
He adds that another salary, such as Donte DiVincenzo’s $12MM, would have to be included, and Phoenix would probably want one of Minnesota’s young players thrown in, such as Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon or Jaylen Clark.
Latest On Kevin Durant
Although the Suns cannot aggregate salaries in trades, they have been exploring ways to move below the second tax apron to ease some of the restrictions they’re currently facing. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), as part of the Kevin Durant trade talks, Phoenix’s front office has larger constructs involving Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale in an effort to reduce the team’s payroll.
Dropping below the second apron is believed to be one of Phoenix’s “primary objectives” in a Durant deal, Fischer writes. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Suns are trying to cut costs for financial reasons, they just recognize how difficult it is to operate over that threshold in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, Fischer explains.
Sources tell Fischer that Phoenix hopes to acquire “starting-level talent” in exchange for Durant, with “quality draft capital” another desired part of the return package. Fischer hears the Suns have been evaluating first-round prospects “in the belief they will obtain at least one meaningful selection” in the 2025 draft.
While Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the Rockets are one of the teams most seriously engaged with the Suns for Durant, Fischer says Houston is “exceedingly reluctant” to meet Phoenix’s asking price. According to Fischer, the Suns view the Rockets as their ideal trade partner due to their combination of young talent and draft picks — Houston controls Phoenix’s first-rounders in 2025 (No. 10), 2027 and 2029.
Fischer adds that the Rockets’ front office recognizes this advantage and is “believed to be willing to go only so far” in its offer to Phoenix, indicating that the Suns might get more assets elsewhere.
League sources tell Fischer that the Timberwolves and Heat are the teams most frequently talked about as potential destinations for Durant. Fischer adds that the Spurs and Rockets have been cited by league executives as having interest in acquiring Durant, along with the Clippers and Raptors “to a lesser extent.”
Fischer also speculates that Durant would enjoy the idea of returning to Texas — where he played collegiately — either with San Antonio or Houston. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 previously stated that the Texas teams may be atop Durant’s wish list.
That could be an important consideration because Durant holds a $54.7MM expiring contract. Fischer says that front offices are considering whether it’s worth the gamble to trade for Durant with no assurances that he will re-sign after next season.
Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets that there have been discussions between Minnesota and Phoenix regarding Durant, but “nothing is close” right now. Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on Wednesday that the Heat are interested in dealing for Durant, but “only at the right price.”
Ian Begley of SNY.tv considers it a “long shot” that the Knicks will get involved (Twitter link), echoing other reports from this week. Begley also points out that finding a starting center is among the Suns’ offseason priorities, and trading Durant may be their best opportunity to make that happen.
Fischer considers Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert the best center likely to be available in a Durant deal, but states that it’s difficult to create a workable trade scenario between the Wolves and Suns, who are both operating above the second apron for now. He points out that Minnesota will fall below the second apron if Naz Reid and Julius Randle both decline their player options, and Reid seems almost certain to do so. Otherwise, a trade between the two clubs would likely have to be agreed upon this month but not become official until after the moratorium is lifted in July.
Miami may be more realistic, according to Fischer, who notes that the city was on Durant’s list when he first asked the Nets for a trade. Fischer suggests that Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson are among the players the Heat can send to Phoenix to help match salaries, and they have three first-rounders that can be moved: No. 20 this year, along with their picks in 2030 and 2032.
Sources tell Fischer that Miami was unwilling to part with Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez at the trade deadline, and he speculates that its willingness to include Ware could be a “true swing factor” in a Phoenix deal.
The Spurs and other teams have been reluctant to surrender significant draft capital for Durant, according to Fischer, who reports that the Suns have limited interest in the players San Antonio has offered so far. Fischer states that it’s believed the Spurs are keeping Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft off limits and are only offering players such as Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes.
Arthur Hill contributed to this report.
Scotto’s Latest: Porzingis, Celtics, Reid, NAW, Magic, Kings
Executives around the NBA generally view Kristaps Porzingis as the Celtics‘ top trade candidate this offseason as the team looks to reduce its salary, says Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Porzingis has played a limited role during Boston’s last two playoff runs due to health issues and will be on an expiring $30.7MM contract in 2025/26.
However, the general consensus is that the Celtics won’t be looking to trade just one highly paid player.
“Boston needs to get off two big salaries at least, or they’ll have massive tax implications,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype. “(Jayson) Tatum‘s injury lets them use next year as a gap year to audition other players or young guys.”
While Derrick White has drawn consistent interest from teams across the league, per Scotto, the Celtics have always rebuffed those inquiries in the past and would presumably be more inclined to shop Jrue Holiday if they move off one of their veteran guards.
Reserve wing Sam Hauser is also considered a trade candidate by rival NBA executives, according to Scotto, who notes that 2024 first-rounder Baylor Scheierman is viewed by talent evaluators as a player who could take on Hauser’s role sooner or later.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Re-signing Naz Reid is considered a top priority for the Timberwolves, but executives around the NBA believe Minnesota is unlikely to retain Reid, Julius Randle, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who are all eligible for free agency this offseason.
- The Magic, who were recently identified as a possible suitor for Alexander-Walker, made a play for the Timberwolves guard at February’s trade deadline, according to Scotto, who says many executives are projecting the 26-year-old to receive the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception or something close to it.
- Rival executives are monitoring the Kings‘ veteran trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, and believe the team will explore trading one or more of those players either this offseason or by the 2026 trade deadline, Scotto writes. It might take a trade request for Sacramento to seriously consider dealing Sabonis, and LaVine’s maximum-salary contract figures to be difficult to move. That leaves DeRozan and perhaps center Jonas Valanciunas, who will be on a pseudo-expiring $10.4MM contract, as the Kings’ top potential trade candidates.
- In case you missed it, we also passed along reporting from Scotto on a potential point guard target for the Kings, along with a handful of Clippers-related rumors.
Wolves’ Tim Connelly On Minnesota: ‘It Feels Like Home’
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly reportedly has an opt-out clause in his contract this offseason, but it sounds like he intends to stay in Minnesota.
“It feels like home. … I think you guys are stuck with me,” Connelly told media members today, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The news doesn’t come as a surprise. Multiple reporters — including Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Michael Scotto, and Krawczynski — have indicated that signing Connelly to a new contract was a priority and the team was optimistic an agreement would be reached. Connelly is said to have a good working relationship with new majority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who are expected to be approved by the league’s Board of Governors later this month.
Connelly was rumored to be a top target of the Hawks in their search for a new head of basketball operations and was also linked to the Nuggets’ vacancy. Connelly ran Denver’s front office from 2013-22, putting its championship core together, though he technically missed out on that title by leaving a year early.
The 49-year-old has pulled off some blockbuster trades since he was hired by the Timberwolves in 2022, acquiring Rudy Gobert from Utah later that year and sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York last October in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop (who was later waived) and a first-round pick.
The Wolves have made the playoffs each of the past three seasons with Connelly as the head of basketball operations, including — most recently — back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Here are a few more highlights from Connelly’s press conference:
- Randle, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could all be free agents this summer — Randle and Reid hold players options for 2025/26, while Alexander-Walker is unrestricted. Connelly says the team is “cautiously optimistic” it will be able to bring back all three rotation players, as Krawczynski relays (via Twitter). “We’re very appreciative of what the market might look like,” Connelly said. “We’re pretty cautiously optimistic we’re in a good place with all of the guys. Most importantly, they want to be here.”
- Connelly praised head coach Chris Finch for the “great” job he has done over the past couple years, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “It’s not easy what we’ve tasked him with the last couple of years (multiple major trades),” Connelly said. “… It’s a testament to his intelligence, his ability to be creative and to coach any group we put in front of him.”
- Connelly was also complimentary of Finch’s coaching staff for its adaptability and player development skills, according to Krawczynski (Twitter link). “Someone is going to smartly hire (assistant) Micah Nori as a head coach soon.”
- Connelly thinks Anthony Edwards will have a “challenging” offseason in front of him as the Wolves attempt to take the next step, but he’s confident in the star guard’s two-way ability (Twitter video link via Scotto) “The sky is the limit,” Connelly said of Edwards. “We think he’s going to be one of the best players of all time, and we think he’s on that track.”
Timberwolves Notes: Randle, Reid, Durant
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has emerged as perhaps the most intriguing potential free agent of the 2025 offseason, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
After trading five-time All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to New York in exchange for a package headlined by Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves made the Western Conference Finals for a second straight season, with Randle playing a major role in the team’s first- and second-round series wins over the Lakers and Warriors.
Bringing in Randle and DiVincenzo added play-making around incumbent All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards while giving the Timberwolves significantly more financial flexibility to try to re-sign free agent wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and potential free agent Naz Reid this summer.
Sources tell Fischer that the Timberwolves viewed Randle as a better fit than Towns next to Edwards due to the veteran forward’s ability to score downhill and pass from the post.
As Fischer writes, it took the Timberwolves a year to fully integrate Rudy Gobert following their 2022 deal for the Frenchman, so they may be optimistic about Randle’s potential to get even more comfortable and continue meshing with Edwards in year two. However, Randle – who has a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26 – could also function as a potential salary-matching piece if Minnesota opts to renew its trade-deadline pursuit of Kevin Durant.
There’s more from Minnesota:
- Reid is expected to decline his $15.1MM player option and hit unrestricted free agency, according to Fischer. Although far more teams are projected to have major cap space next summer as opposed to 2025, Reid could earn some long-term security on a new deal now. He had a solid run during the 2024/25 regular season, but was a bit inconsistent during the playoffs.
- According to Fischer, the Timberwolves reached out to at least one Eastern Conference squad in an effort to get help acquiring Durant from the Suns before the trade deadline. Minnesota’s interest in the 15-time All-Star was said to be significant. The 2014 MVP may no longer be quite the defender he was during his Oklahoma City/Golden State prime, but he remains one of the best scorers in the game today, even at the relatively advanced age of 36. After Phoenix finished outside of the playoff mix with a 36-46 record, it seems quite possible a Durant trade could be on the table again this summer.
- In case you missed it, Orlando is viewed as a candidate to get involved in the bidding for Alexander-Walker this summer.
Wolves Rumors: Durant, Ownership, Connelly, FAs, Conley
The Timberwolves and Suns both operated above the second tax apron during the 2024/25 season, which means it would have been extremely difficult for the two teams to construct a trade that sent Kevin Durant to Minnesota at the February deadline. Still, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast that the Wolves made a real effort to land the star forward four months ago (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).
“It became clear to me in talking to the parties involved just how serious the Wolves were about trying to trade for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline,” Windhorst said.
Windhorst goes on to acknowledge that the pre-deadline Wolves weren’t playing as well as they eventually performed down the stretch and in the first two rounds of the playoffs, so their level of interest in Durant may not be the same this offseason as it was at the time. And even with some money coming off their books this offseason, a deal for a player earning $54.7MM would be tricky to pull off.
Still, Windhorst notes that president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has a history of taking big swings on the trade market, making the Wolves a potential team to watch if Durant is on the trade block.
“I’m not arguing that Durant’s going to end up in Minnesota,” Windhorst said. “I’m just saying, if you look at Tim Connelly, he made the big (Rudy) Gobert trade. He made the big Julius Randle and (Donte) DiVincenzo trade. He’s shown the propensity to make big deals.”
The Timberwolves plan to be aggressive in building their roster around Anthony Edwards this offseason, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who writes that the new ownership group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez has put together a “deep-pocketed group” of partners and would be comfortable continuing to pay luxury tax penalties going forward.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- The NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to vote to formally approve the Lore/Rodriguez ownership group sometime in late June, sources tell Krawczynski. The new owners plan to more aggressively invest in the business side of the franchise, Krawczynski continues, which includes making plans for a new arena.
- Two team sources reiterated to The Athletic that there’s optimism about the Wolves’ ability to work out a new contract with Connelly, who has an opt-out clause in his current deal this offseason. According to Krawczynski, while Lore and Rodriguez are involved in major roster decisions, they trust Connelly to make the moves he believes are necessary. Connelly’s easy-going personality has “helped relax what could often be a nervous, downtrodden basketball operations department,” Krawczynski adds.
- With Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all potentially reaching free agency this summer (Randle and Reid hold player options), Krawczynski believes the likeliest outcome is that two of those three players will remain in Minnesota, with one of them departing.
- Mike Conley spoke after the Wolves’ Game 5 loss on Wednesday as if he plans to return for his 19th season, but he’ll likely take on a reduced workload, so it’s crucial that the Wolves find another productive point guard, either in-house (ie. Rob Dillingham) or by bringing in a veteran, says Krawczynski. “I think my role is one that I’ve been willing to do anything,” Conley said. “Just play any amount of minutes, start, come off the bench. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. Whatever is best for the team.”