The Minnesota Timberwolves are heating up as a potential landing spot for Kevin Durant. They would benefit from having his stardom, considering he is one of the greatest basketball players of his generation.
Getting Durant to pair up with Anthony Edwards makes for a fantastic duo, and Stephen A. Smith certainly thinks the same. It might require the Timberwolves to pay a steep asking price, but the potential is extremely high.
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the second half at Footprint Center.
Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The package for Durant might involve players like Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, and Rob Dillingham. Some people might say that it's a costly package, but that is worth it when you get a top-five player of this generation.
He might be in his mid-30s, but Durant is still one of the best scorers in the game. His game does not revolve around athleticism, which makes his style timeless and a natural fit for the Timberwolves' system. For a lot of people including Stephen A. Smith, they believe this is a great fit.
Smith Believes Pairing Durant and Edwards Is The Key To A Title Run
Durant is reportedly favoring moves to one of three teams. Those are the Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, and the Miami Heat. Joining any of those teams should yield good results for Durant, but the Timberwolves move might be the most appealing.
Edwards is the only superstar across the three teams. Durant loves playing alongside talented players who can keep up with him. This was evident in his dynamic in Oklahoma City alongside Russell Westbrook and during his time in Golden State.
He is one of the best plug-and-play stars in NBA history, which means he could fit in well under head coach Chris Finch. Smith is one of the people who believes that will work out well.
"That automatically elevates the championship stature that is the Minnesota Timberwolves. You give Edwards, Kevin Durant to defer to? Look the hell out," Smith said on SportsCenter. "It's a different dimension coming your way with those two. You gotta keep the pieces you have... Assuming you have some important components in place, and you have KD and Ant-Man, I'm sorry, that's a championship-caliber duo."
The Timberwolves Have The Potential To Contend For A Title
Minnesota has been to the Western Conference Finals in two consecutive years. They are close to reaching the NBA Finals stage, but they have lost to teams with superstars like Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
However, they always had the complementary pieces with them that helped them shine even more. With players like Kyrie Irving and Jalen Williams supporting those superstars, they got the win over the Timberwolves.
With this potential Durant trade happening, Minnesota could compete with them at the highest level. It will be a challenging trade to pull off, but the interest is there from the Durant camp.
If they can come up with a deal that benefits everyone, the Timberwolves should capitalize on the opportunity, as they could accelerate their title-winning window to 2026.