The Kevin Durant trade saga went down with a whimper for the Phoenix Suns. After weeks of speculation and a potential deal with the Golden State Warriors on the table, eventually, nothing came to pass. However, alongside a Warriors team whose idea Durant rejected, another team was in the hunt for the 2014 NBA MVP.
A former Golden State general manager, who was with the team during Durant’s layover with them, made the reveal.
Beyond Golden State, Kevin Durant Could Have Had a Different Home
Bob Myers made an appearance on “NBA Today” and discussed the trade deadline. In particular, his focus was on the second seed in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite their elite record, Memphis had enough assets to go after a major star if necessary.
And, as Myers highlighted, they were in the running for two of them. “They tried on Jimmy Butler, they tried on Kevin Durant. Problem is, and I hate saying this, those guys said, ‘No.'”
Lol Bob Myers accidentally leaked that the Grizzlies were trying to get Kevin Durant on live TV pic.twitter.com/53SbMucKMs
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 6, 2025
Until then, there had been no inclinations about the Grizzlies being interested in the former Oklahoma City Thunder star. However, ultimately, no such blockbuster deal came to pass. The only Durant trade that gained momentum in the rumor mills came from the Warriors.
However, Durant didn’t want a reunion with Golden State and reportedly said no about a potential move there. As a result, Phoenix stood pat when it came to its three stars, instead making fringe moves on the edges.
The Grizzlies, on the other hand, chose to prioritize their core and upcoming extensions for the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr.; after trading away Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia, Memphis will now have a tighter rotation, as well as cap space in the offseason to work with.
They have been a top-10 team on both offense and defense, according to advanced metrics. However, their wing rotation leaves something to be desired. While the likes of Santi Aldama, GG Jackson II, and Desmond Bane have been solid in their roles, none of the three are truly elite enough for a sustained playoff run.
As a result, adding a name like Butler or Durant could have pushed them over the edge into the tier of true championship contenders. But with a superstar in Morant and Jackson having a career year, there is enough for Memphis to invest in.
