Warriors, Suns Discuss Kevin Durant Trade That Could Involve Up To Five Teams Plus Jimmy Butler

[RealGM Wiretap]

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. 

Via Brian Windhorst/ESPN

[the_process]

There's no way to have a trade where the Suns get Butler and Draymond without sending out Beal.

Unless they're trading Booker too.

[SkyBill40]

There's no way to have a trade where the Suns get Butler and Draymond without sending out Beal.

Unless they're trading Booker too.

They're not sending out Booker. And Beal isn't going anywhere unless he chooses to go, which he's made abundantly clear to NOT be interested in doing.

Beal is sowing dissention to some degree and it's going to look poorly on him since the idea was to have a trio of Booker, Butler, and Durant; not Booker, Beal, and Butler. For what it's worth though, PHX fully knew he had a NTC and traded for him anyway. I don't think they expected things to end up like they turned out, but that's the risk you take in making a move involving a guy that's completely insulated from any action. The only thing you can do is what has already been done, and that's move him to the bench where he clearly isn't going to be happy.

Beal earned is NTC though and that's pretty much the end of it.

[MitchB3]

There's no way to have a trade where the Suns get Butler and Draymond without sending out Beal.

Unless they're trading Booker too.

They're not sending out Booker. And Beal isn't going anywhere unless he chooses to go, which he's made abundantly clear to NOT be interested in doing.

Beal is sowing dissention to some degree and it's going to look poorly on him since the idea was to have a trio of Booker, Butler, and Durant; not Booker, Beal, and Butler. For what it's worth though, PHX fully knew he had a NTC and traded for him anyway. I don't think they expected things to end up like they turned out, but that's the risk you take in making a move involving a guy that's completely insulated from any action. The only thing you can do is what has already been done, and that's move him to the bench where he clearly isn't going to be happy.

Beal earned is NTC though and that's pretty much the end of it.

People also forget that it was KD and Devin Booker who convinced him to waive the NTC to come to Phx.

[SkyBill40]

There's no way to have a trade where the Suns get Butler and Draymond without sending out Beal.

Unless they're trading Booker too.

They're not sending out Booker. And Beal isn't going anywhere unless he chooses to go, which he's made abundantly clear to NOT be interested in doing.

Beal is sowing dissention to some degree and it's going to look poorly on him since the idea was to have a trio of Booker, Butler, and Durant; not Booker, Beal, and Butler. For what it's worth though, PHX fully knew he had a NTC and traded for him anyway. I don't think they expected things to end up like they turned out, but that's the risk you take in making a move involving a guy that's completely insulated from any action. The only thing you can do is what has already been done, and that's move him to the bench where he clearly isn't going to be happy.

Beal earned is NTC though and that's pretty much the end of it.

People also forget that it was KD and Devin Booker who convinced him to waive the NTC to come to Phx.

Right.

[Pickled Prunes]

They're not sending out Booker. And Beal isn't going anywhere unless he chooses to go, which he's made abundantly clear to NOT be interested in doing.

Beal is sowing dissention to some degree and it's going to look poorly on him since the idea was to have a trio of Booker, Butler, and Durant; not Booker, Beal, and Butler. For what it's worth though, PHX fully knew he had a NTC and traded for him anyway. I don't think they expected things to end up like they turned out, but that's the risk you take in making a move involving a guy that's completely insulated from any action. The only thing you can do is what has already been done, and that's move him to the bench where he clearly isn't going to be happy.

Beal earned is NTC though and that's pretty much the end of it.

People also forget that it was KD and Devin Booker who convinced him to waive the NTC to come to Phx.

Right.

I believe Beal want's to leave; he just wants to control the destination.

1) There is no way any of this is fun for him. PHX is a circus. They aren't going to win and are too cap-strapped to change that.
2) If Beal blocks a trade and PHX continues to fall short, which will happen either way, the fans will blame him, hate him and troll him incessantly.

Trust me, Beal wants out... just not bad enough to go to BRK. Fans can't blame him for that.