DeMarcus Cousins Admits That Kevin Durant Not Going To Minnesota Is A City Issue

With Durant about to turn 36 by the time the 2025-26 season starts, he is looking for a big long-term contract extension. It is understandable, given he already has a secure legacy with two championships under his belt.

The Timberwolves seem unwilling to offer him the largest contract extension possible, which is understandable because of his age. However, Cousins feels playing in the state of Minnesota is not appealing for Durant.

Minnesota Might Not Appeal To Durant

A big reason behind why some players do not want to play for the Timberwolves is the weather. It is well known that the state of Minnesota and its cold weather might not be appealing for Durant. 

That is different from players like Karl-Anthony Towns, who once said he could wear a jacket. He wanted to get selected number one overall in 2015, and he proudly represented the Timberwolves until the 2024 trade.

Cousins makes a good point about Durant because it will be the final contract of his career. Going somewhere he would like to live while playing basketball might be the best-case scenario, as seen by his preferences; Miami or cities in Texas, the state where he went to college, which are the Spurs and Rockets.

"I don't know why he wouldn't want to play with a guy like Anthony Edwards. For me, I don't think it's a scenario where he's looking at Anthony Edwards and viewing it as a negative," Cousins said on Run It Back. "If you come from a place like Phoenix where it's warm all year... Kevin Durant is at a place in his career where he deserves to go wherever he wants to go. I think it's more so a city-type situation."

It Should Be Difficult To Deny Playing With Edwards

Almost anyone in the league would want to play for the Timberwolves just because Edwards is there. He is the superstar set to take over the league. Edwards is already arguably the league's best shooting guard, so playing with him should be fun and fruitful.

Unfortunately for Minnesota's fans, Durant is not interested in that. He wants to play basketball with a surefire long-term contract in a place he feels comfortable. 

Cousins and others have pointed out that Minnesota is not an appealing state to most players, but the ambitious ones would jump at the chance to play with Edwards and teammates like Jaden McDaniels. 

That should be a sign for Minnesota to look for other players while Durant and the Suns have not made a decision. Players would love to be on the same roster as Edwards, and that could be Minnesota's leverage in negotiations with other players.