The trade deadline came and went with Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant remaining in Phoenix despite heavy trade speculation. The Minnesota Timberwolves were reportedly one of the teams that were aggressive in their pursuit for the future Hall of Famer, but to no avail.
With the deadline passed, All-Star weekend is upon us, where the stars of the game come together and celebrate their accomplishments this season. The hot topics in the media have been about the deadline, as this year’s edition featured some of the most stunning and unexpected trades in league history.
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards was ‘surprised’ about Durant rumors
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was asked about the Durant rumors before the deadline, to which he said he was “super surprised” that the Suns were looking to move him.
“It was crazy, man. I’ve seen some crazy stuff about Kevin Durant in the trade talks… I was super surprised. I didn’t think Phoenix would be trying to trade him,” Edwards said (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Ben Stinar).
Durant and Edwards would have been a scary duo
If Minnesota was able to pull off a trade for Durant and pair him with Edwards, the two would have formed one of the top duos in the league and the Timberwolves would have been feared once again in the West. They traded away Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks this past offseason and have struggled to replicate their success from last season.
Minnesota currently sits seventh in the Western Conference standings with a 31-25 record. Phoenix, meanwhile, has struggled even with Durant as they are under .500 with a 26-28 record and 11th in the West standings, which is likely why they were willing to move him at the right price.
Ultimately, Durant remains in Phoenix for now, but all could change in the offseason if they decide to restart trade negotiations. If that is the case, the Timberwolves should be one of the first teams to reach out to the Suns given how much he can improve their title odds. For now, though, a Durant and Edwards pairing will have to wait.
