Timberwolves Refusing To Include Jaden McDaniels In Kevin Durant Trade

The Minnesota Timberwolves have made one thing abundantly clear in their pursuit of Kevin Durant: Jaden McDaniels is off the table. According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, the 24-year-old forward is untouchable in any trade talks involving Durant, a stance that highlights just how highly the franchise values his two-way impact and long-term importance alongside Anthony Edwards.

"The Wolves are not including Jaden McDaniels in any KD trade talks, per team sources, which means that one of Randle or Rudy Gobert would have to be the primary salary eater in the deal. Randle has a $31 million player option for next season. Gobert makes $35 million."

"Including either one of them not only helps in the salary matching portion of the deal, but both veterans would be reliable contributors who could help Devin Booker and the Suns compete now. It does not appear that Phoenix wants to tear down and rebuild as part of this trade.:

"Randle and Gobert both figured prominently in Minnesota’s run to the conference finals last season. Both are floor-raisers for the regular season at a minimum, and both had big moments in the playoffs before struggling in the conference finals against OKC."

Durant is on the trade block after a disastrous 36–46 season in Phoenix, and the Timberwolves are one of several serious suitors, joining the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs in the sweepstakes. 

But while Minnesota is eager to land the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer to pair with Edwards, they are unwilling to sacrifice the defensive heartbeat of their team to make it happen.

Matching Durant’s $54.7 million salary remains the biggest challenge. With McDaniels off limits, the Timberwolves are reportedly looking to build a package centered around Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert, both of whom hold contracts that exceed $30 million for next season. 

Gobert, who struggled in the Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder but was instrumental in Minnesota's run throughout the year, is the likeliest candidate to be moved.

Phoenix, meanwhile, has little interest in a teardown. That makes veterans like Randle or Gobert, both proven floor-raisers and playoff contributors, logical targets to help the Suns remain competitive around Devin Booker.

Still, the Timberwolves’ refusal to include McDaniels is telling. Drafted in the same year as Edwards, McDaniels has grown into one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders. 

His stats may not jump off the page, but his ability to guard multiple positions, contest shots without fouling, and anchor the team’s defensive schemes makes him indispensable to Chris Finch’s system. He’s also just scratching the surface offensively, showing flashes of shot creation and playmaking.

The Edwards–McDaniels pairing represents Minnesota’s long-term core, and team president Tim Connelly seems intent on keeping it that way. Even for someone as transcendent as Durant, the Wolves are holding firm.

But the Wolves are calculating. With McDaniels deemed untouchable and Edwards off-limits, their offer will likely hinge on a combination of Gobert or Randle, salary fillers like Donte DiVincenzo, and multiple first-round picks. Whether that’s enough for Phoenix remains to be seen.

As trade talks accelerate ahead of the July 6 window, one thing is clear: Minnesota wants Durant, but not at the cost of its defensive cornerstone. If the Wolves can pull this off without giving up McDaniels, they could emerge from the West not just as contenders, but as favorites.