Kevin Durant’s future stays the most well liked subject heading into the offseason. A number of franchises have emerged as potential suitors for the veteran celebrity.
Stories counsel a number of groups are actively pursuing Durant, with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder considered as on the spot dynasty in the event that they full a commerce. The Houston Rockets and New York Knicks have additionally entered discussions.
One other intriguing risk includes the Minnesota Timberwolves, who possess precious property and desperately want championship expertise.
Nevertheless, veteran NBA insider Zach Lowe believes a Durant acquisition wouldn’t be simple for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves face vital monetary obstacles that might derail any Kevin Durant pursuit. Their upcoming selections on free brokers Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker create a posh net of wage cap implications.
“The Minnesota scenario could be very advanced as a result of there are aprons concerned for them. They’ve these three outgoing free brokers in Randle, Naz Reid, and Alexander-Walker,” Lowe defined throughout a current podcast look.
The insider highlighted how participant choices complicate Minnesota’s flexibility. “The primary two of whom have participant choices that aren’t completely out of bounds from quantities they’d take in the event that they have been connected to extensions.”
Each Randle and Reid are more likely to decline their participant choices and discover profitable extensions, creating extra wage cap strain for Minnesota. This state of affairs makes buying Durant’s $50 million wage considerably more difficult.
With out Randle, Reid, and probably Mike Conley as matching salaries, a Durant deal turns into practically inconceivable regardless of Minnesota’s precious younger property like Rob Dillingham and Jaden McDaniels.
“I’ve heard within the final couple days Minnesota’s title come up vis-a-vis Durant and the mix of aprons and participant choices, and does Mike Conley should get thrown in as a wage filler,” Lowe famous.
One potential answer includes buying and selling Rudy Gobert alongside a promising participant like Rob Dillingham.
Lowe believes this type of bundle might work, although Minnesota would sacrifice their rim safety, and he says the younger expertise shouldn’t be a participant they’d wish to lose.
“You threw in Dillingham, I feel they’d simply be loathed to try this. I’m going Naz Reid on the 5 and we’re not going to care about protection in any respect anymore as a result of we’ve such scoring prowess.”
This trade-off would basically alter Minnesota’s identification, remodeling them from a defensive powerhouse into an offensive juggernaut constructed round Anthony Edwards and Durant’s scoring capacity and playmaking.
