Report: Suns Wanted Rudy Gobert From Timberwolves In Kevin Durant Trade

According to NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Phoenix Suns wanted Rudy Gobert from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a Kevin Durant trade. 

The Timberwolves weren’t comfortable trading for Durant because they knew he didn’t want to play for them. 

Minnesota also didn’t see Durant and Julius Randle being an ideal pairing defensively.

“The Timberwolves were concerned about trading for Durant when Minnesota wasn’t on his preferred list of destinations,” Scotto wrote. “In addition, the Suns desired Rudy Gobert in trade talks, and losing their French defensive anchor to pair Julius Randle and Kevin Durant in the frontcourt together wasn’t seen as an ideal pairing defensively, HoopsHype has learned.”

The Timberwolves have reached the conference finals two years in a row. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks last year and fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder this year.

Durant and Anthony Edwards are close friends. They were teammates on Team USA last summer and Durant is Edwards’ favorite basketball player of all time.

It’s unknown why Durant didn’t want to play for the Timberwolves. Edwards didn’t recruit the NBA legend either. 

Phoenix has agreed to trade Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in this year’s NBA Draft and five second-round picks. 

The Rockets were the second seed in the West this season. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs in seven games. 

Durant won four scoring titles and the 2014 MVP Award with the Thunder and back-to-back championships and Finals MVPs with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. He’s one of the best players in NBA history. 

However, Durant hasn’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs since leaving the Warriors in 2019. He was swept by Edwards and the Timberwolves in the first round of the 2024 postseason.