The Golden State Warriors are pursuing a trade for Kevin Durant after they have struck out on a number of other star pursuits over the past 12 years including LeBron James, Lauri Markkanen and Paul George. The Phoenix Suns are engaging on Durant discussions after they have been unable to turn Bradley Beal into Jimmy Butler. The two teams share a commonality as they are in the play-in picture in the Western Conference as well as having amongst the most aggressive owners in the league in Mat Ishbia and Joe Lacob. Golden State, however, may have enough surplus assets to make a major trade for Durant that both teams feel improves their chances of competing enough to risk it.
“Now, we have the Warriors and Suns discussing the possibility of bringing Kevin Durant back,” said Brian Windhorst on Get Up on Wednesday morning. “I am not going to sit here and even begin to project or guess as to how this will go down. Is it possible Kevin Durant could be traded to the Warriors? Yes. Will it happen? I’m not afraid to say ‘I don’t know.’
“This is potentially a three-, four-, five-team transaction. It could involve like a dozen other players. Because that’s the nature of NBA trades. It could involve Jimmy Butler. It is possible that the Suns could acquire Jimmy Butler, but not for Bradley Beal, but for Kevin Durant. And so after a month of trying to pair them together, they could end up, in an elaborate way, being traded for each other.
“I’ve got to tell you, as you can hear as I describe this, it sounds complicated because it is. I do not want to imply that anything is going to happen. I have no idea how you go back on this if it doesn’t work, because now the world does know that the Warriors are trying to get KD back and repair him with Stephen Curry.
“The only things I can tell you that I can say for sure is tomorrow afternoon is Devin Booker will be on the Suns, because I think that’s the guarantee and Stephen Curry will be on the Warriors. After that, I can’t promise you anything.”
The Warriors have also been interested in trading for Butler with an offer centered around Andrew Wiggins. Draymond Green is a possible target for the Suns in trade talks with the Warriors, as is Jonathan Kuminga.
Windhorst has describe the negotiations as “the KD-Jimmy Butler triangle” as both the Warriors and Suns have also discussed a Butler trade with the Heat.