Shams: Timberwolves are still actively negotiating but are more likely to participate in KD deals as a third-party team

June 18 According to previous reports, Durant's favorite traders are the Rockets, Spurs, and Heat, and the Timberwolves are not among them. But the Timberwolves are actively discussing the relevant trading framework with the Suns.

Shams talks about the Timberwolves' current role in Pat McAfee Show. "I think in the current deal negotiations, all parties are actually looking for one or two key chips to push the deal."

"From the Miami perspective, from the Houston perspective, Minnesota is an unpredictable team - they reached the Western Conference Finals for two consecutive years. I reported last weekend that Kevin Durant's three top picks are Miami, Houston and San Antonio, and Minnesota is not on the list. Obviously, Durant himself has no intention of going there, but Minnesota may not be the first team to trade for "involuntary players" - the Raptors traded for Leonard in 2018. He wanted to go to Los Angeles, but eventually went to Toronto and won the championship that year. So this is not without precedent. ”

"As far as I know, the Timberwolves are still evaluating the feasibility of the deal. They are not withdrawing from the negotiations, but trying to find a path: can Durant be introduced through a big bet and continue to build a lineup? They need to deal with Naz Reed's free agent issue, Alexander Walker's free agent issue, and Julius Randle's contract renewal issue. In addition, in the NBA, the second rich line and the first rich line are important considerations for team building. "

" Therefore, I think the Timberwolves will continue to study the trading plan. But to be honest, as time goes by, I think they are more likely to participate in the role of a 'multi-team trading intermediary' - whether it is a three-party or a four-party transaction, they may not have directly obtained Durant, but are the middlemen to promote the transaction. However, Minnesota is still deeply involved in these negotiations. "