The Golden State Warriors are no stranger to the rejection of former Finals MVP Kevin Durant.
After two championships in three seasons with the franchise, Durant left the Warriors in the free agency of 2019 then turned down a reunion just months ago before the mid-season deadline.
Now it appears that Durant is turning his back (or at least trying to) on another NBA team, with speculation mounting on where the Phoenix Suns will send their superstar forward in the coming days or weeks.
Kevin Durant’s rejection of the Timberwolves should thrill Warriors fans
While the Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the most prominent teams linked to Durant dating back to before the mid-season deadline, the 36-year-old has no interest in heading to the Western Conference finalist according to ESPN’s Shams Charania earlier on Monday.
“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 and are outside his preferred list — decide to move forward with these Durant discussions?”
Charania reiterated that Durant’s preferred destinations are the Miami Heat, where he could be acquired for another former Warrior forward in Andrew Wiggins, along with two Texas-based teams in the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.
Durant’s rejection of the Timberwolves should thrill Warriors fans who saw Minnesota eliminate their team 4-1 in the second-round after Stephen Curry’s hamstring injury. As Golden State look to mount a challenge in the West again next season, the best Durant outcome would be to have him head East and try to balance out the contrasting star power between the two conferences currently.
As frustrating as it may be to see the Heat flip Wiggins for Durant after the Warriors just tried to do that themselves before the mid-season deadline, that’s still a better result than having him remain in the West where he could haunt Golden State during the regular season or the playoffs.
Durant’s disinterest in Minnesota could dissuade them from trying to pair the 15x All-Star with Olympic teammate Anthony Edwards, and therefore increase the possibility of the Heat executing a deal. The Toronto Raptors are the other team in the East who have been linked to a potential shock move for Durant, yet they too aren’t on his list of preferred destinations.
A Durant move to the Spurs or Rockets could be a disaster for the aging Warriors, with those two young teams already preparing to rise further in the West even without the help of one of the greatest scorers of all-time.
