TWSN’s Daniel Alameda recently published an article with the proposition of a blockbuster trade that would send 14 time All Star, two-time NBA Champion and 2013-2014 MVP Kevin Durant to the Minnesota Timberwolves. That same trade would send Karl-Anthony Towns to Phoenix and end his nine-year reign in Minnesota. This is my reaction to the trade, and it’s not a report!
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Daniel’s Proposed Trade:
Timberwolves receive: F Kevin Durant
Suns receive: PF Karl-Anthony Towns & G Rob Dillingham
Grading the Trade:
One of Daniel’s biggest points is the ever-growing bond between KD and Anthony Edwards. Edwards has stated publicly that KD was one of his biggest idols growing up. Edwards was only six when KD made his NBA debut in 2007. His first NBA game he attended was one that featured KD. KD and Ant came off the bench together during the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team USA and seemingly started a strong bond that saw them always exiting the bus together, warming up next to each other, and even sitting next to each other. Edwards was glued to Durant’s hip the entire time.
Timberwolves Grade
Durant obviously would add a new element to a young and upcoming Timberwolves team that they desperately missed during their run to the Western Conference Finals last year. The Wolves struggled to find a second dominant scoring option behind Ant. While KAT had his games where he performed well, it was more so Edwards having to carry the Wolves through games in which even he struggled at times. Like Daniel said in his piece, Durant would command a lot of attention defensively which would only allow Edwards to get more opportunities to flourish with more of the attention going to the natural scorer at-will in Kevin Durant.
Durant also adds another defensive anchor to a Timberwolves roster that features the now four-time Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert. Durant has the versatility to guard multiple positions at the same time with absurd lank and versatility even at 35-years-old.
Suns Grade
For the Suns, it gives them a chance to get younger and feature a new big two of former Kentucky Wildcat teammates in Towns and Devin Booker. Booker and Towns can be the foundation to build around for a younger Suns team still trying to find an identity. In this trade, the two would be paired with another former Wildcat in Rob Dillingham who was drafted eight overall in this year’s NBA draft. Dillingham is shifty, playmaking guard who thrived at Kentucky and would give the Suns their dynamic guard of the future to pair as the third option behind KAT and Book.
The biggest thing is that this would be a win-now move for the Wolves and the start of a potential retool for the Suns who are looking to get back to the finals since they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. For the Suns, KAT would be an immediate upgrade over the likes of Bol Bol, Mason Plumlee, and Jusef Nurkic. Adding Dilly to the mix along with Bradley Beal, who the Suns traded for the past season, gives them a decent mix of young and veteran scoring. For the Timberwolves, the bromance of Ant and KD gets to be watched more and provides one of the most fun one-two punches in the entire association. The Wolves have a decent number of guards on the roster including Dillingham and veteran Mike Conley alongside fellow rookie Terrance Shannon Jr. so being able to flip one for one of the best players in the league would be a move worth making. Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid are also two more important pawns to this Minnesota roster who have shined and improved immensely.
The trade overall makes sense for both sides since as we can mostly agree that the KD and Book connection in Phoenix isn’t exactly working. Trading KD to the Wolves could give him the best chance at another championship and officially usher in a new era of Suns basketball that could eventually see players like Beal shipped in similar moves.
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