Would you trade Kevin Durant for this package from Minnesota?
Welcome to Kevin Durant Mock Trade Week. As one of the most valuable assets the organization holds — and the most likely piece the Phoenix Suns could move — we’re putting together a weeklong series exploring trade possibilities to determine his true market value. If you haven’t read the lead-up articles laying the groundwork for this, I’d recommend catching up before diving in.
We’re nearing the end of Kevin Durant mock trade week, and credit where it’s due, the writing team has cooked up some genuinely intriguing scenarios for you to chew on. Five trades down, each one sparking its own debate.
But you know what? Let’s sneak in a sixth. A bonus trade for the road. This one involves a familiar face. The last team the Phoenix Suns crossed paths with in the postseason. Not this past year, of course, since the Suns sat that one out. I’m talking about the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Suns receive: Julius Randle, Donte DiVicenzo, Mike Conley
Timberwolves receive: Kevin Durant
Why the Suns would do it:
So why would the Suns make this trade? Why would they send Kevin Durant, a generational scorer, to a Western Conference rival, and in return take back Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and Mike Conley?
Start with the practical: roster needs.
The Suns are staring down the barrel of a point guardless roster next season, and free agency offers little more than tumbleweeds. The lake is dry. So while bringing in Mike Conley — yes, from the 2007 draft class — isn’t ideal, it gives the Suns a competent floor general, a respected voice in the locker room, and a potential mentor for someone like Collin Gillespie or a point guard acquired in the draft.
Both Conley and Randle carry something else: expiring contracts. Randle has a player option for next season, but barring an extension, he’s an unrestricted free agent after that. Unless the Suns view him as part of the future, this is the first deliberate step toward unlocking cap space.
And that matters, because right now, the Suns’ roster is a cluttered canvas. There’s oil, acrylic, and watercolor. It’s full of competing styles without a clear vision. Cap space lets you wipe that canvas clean. It gives you the freedom to start painting something new.
As for the return? Randle is a capable power forward. He’s more than serviceable, with flashes of dominance. He had a strong postseason run until running into Oklahoma City’s buzzsaw. Conley is steady, poised. And Donte DiVincenzo? He’s on a team-friendly deal, he brings edge, defends the passing lanes like a hawk, and plays with a relentless motor. That’s culture-setting stuff, exactly the kind of player Jordan Ott can build around.
So yes, you make this trade knowing the short-term results might still be murky. But it’s not just about next season. It’s about resetting the window. Reframing the future. Reimagining what the Phoenix Suns can become.
Why the Wolves would do it:
This one’s simple. When you have a player like Anthony Edwards, you listen. You bend at the knee. You build around his wants, his needs, his vision. Because he’s not just your franchise cornerstone, he’s knocking on the door of top-five status in the league. You don’t risk alienating a player like that. You empower him.
So if Ant wants to share the court with Kevin Durant, a player he’s idolized since childhood, you do everything in your power to make that happen.
And look at it this way: if you’ve already moved Karl-Anthony Towns to get Julius Randle and Mike Conley, and you flip those two to Phoenix for KD…well, you’ve effectively traded KAT for Kevin Durant. That’s a massive swing.
For a team like the Timberwolves — back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances, but still chasing the elusive next step — you’re looking for ways to sharpen your edges. KD doesn’t just polish the margins. He shifts the whole landscape.
So now we ask: would you pull the trigger?
Do you see the vision? A short-term power play that keeps you in contention now, paired with long-term flexibility down the line. Or do you think it needs more? Should the Suns be angling for a pick too?
Let us know what you think in the comments.
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