The Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns are at crossroads of a different kind. For Minnesota, it's a matter of getting over the hump in a cutthroat conference. For the Suns, it's about how to navigate life after Kevin Durant, whose departure seems imminent.
Phoenix won't roll over and give up, but it's clear Mat Ishbia's efforts to go all-out with a core of KD, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal were... misguided, at best. The Wolves have been to the conference finals in back-to-back years and Anthony Edwards is 23, so there is less immediate pressure to figure something out. But these title windows almost never stay open as long as we think they will.
A Durant trade is almost a given, it's just a matter of figuring out where he goes. He's still an incredibly valuable player, but he's also a 36-year-old entering the final year of his contract. That bumps down the price in trade negotiations, which could open the door for an asset-poor contender like the Wolves, who expressed interest prior to the trade deadline.
As for what Phoenix needs, well, a top-notch center would help — ideally one capable of anchoring an otherwise flimsy defense. Few players raise the floor of their team's defense more than Rudy Gobert. This feels like a potential match. The Suns are known to be prioritizing centers in their KD trade search, per FanSided's Matt Moore.
Suns, Timberwolves could help each other out with Kevin Durant-Rudy Gobert trade
What is the level of mutual interest here? It's unclear. Gobert is four years younger than Durant and he's under contract through 2028, but he's also just not as good. Not in a vacuum. The Suns would love to get Gobert, no doubt, but is he alone worth Kevin Durant? Neither of these teams are swimming in financial flexibility. The second tax apron straight up disallows Phoenix from combining contracts in a trade. It gets tricky.
Gobert for Durant works straight up, but the Wolves can't offer multiple first-round picks, and it's unclear what the value is league wide for players like Rob Dillingham or Terrence Shannon Jr., who have sparse NBA experience.
That said, this does feel like a trade that could benefit both sides in the short term. Gobert is a somewhat infamous figure, but he was stellar for most of the Wolves' playoffs run. He did not reach his peak defensively this season, but the 7-foot-1 Frenchman remains uniquely impactful as an interior anchor. Very few players alter the geometry of the court more than him.
Even if he's not on KD's level "in a vacuum," he could be worth it for a team like Phoenix, which is well-stocked in the scoring department but otherwise barren. Gobert typically needs a strong pick-and-roll setup man to thrive on offense, which Booker can more or less function as. If Tyus Jones re-signs (a big, perhaps futile 'if'), then it's even better.
For Minnesota, we shouldn't underrate just how important Gobert is to their world-class defense. But is going from a great defense to a solid defense a worthwhile sacrifice when it means pairing KD, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle offensively? Maybe. Especially with a coach like Chris Finch calling the shots.
Gobert is four years younger than Durant, but his decline will probably be more precipitous in the years ahead. I'd imagine both teams have their misgivings when this proposal inevitably comes up. But, in the end, it gives Minnesota another top shot-maker to carry the offense alongside Ant, while Phoenix gets its long-absent defensive anchor in the middle. Both are stars in their own ways. Gobert is still criminally under-appreciated, and he does address what seems to be the Suns' most pressing weakness.
This is worth some consideration for both ends. Whether it actually gets pushed across the finish line, however, is yet to be seen.