The gossip is all there. Kevin Durant is slated to move away from the Phoenix Suns after three seasons. Many are wondering where it might be. The Minnesota Timberwolves were seemingly ruled out after revelations about reports of Durant not wanting to go there. But Sham Charania’s sources haven’t stopped talking. They have mentioned a bold team that could pay a high price for KD.

Yet, as far as such reports are concerned, Austin Rivers isn’t taking them too seriously. “Listen, I like Shams. I f–k with Shams. I take everything at face value, though with any of them, because you just never know. They only know what they have been told. So it’s not Sham’s words, it’s whoever told Shams,” he said on his podcast.

Still, the former Clippers guard did give it a thought. The tandem of Kevin Durant and Victor Wembanyama sounds lethal, considering the French center is a huge fan of the two-time NBA champion. But procuring Kevin Durant will likely cost the Spurs a fortune. That could be their second pick in the upcoming draft or even ROTY Stephon Castle.

If you ask Rivers, he wouldn’t be interested in being linked to Durant if he were the Spurs’ front office.

“Our team is already young, and it’s a very good draft. We could really build a team that could dominate for the next 10 years, not just putting up valuable assets and picks for a guy that has a 3-4 year runway to put yourself in a situation to where you don’t have a roster to go win now versus just building it out organically when you have the path and set up to do so, whether it’s the second pick, Castle all these young guys are developing. I personally would go that way,” he said on Off Guard.

It would be a splurge from the Spurs if they do choose to trade for Kevin Durant. Yes, it would arguably help them maximize the youth on their roster by having a superstar veteran on their team. But it would also eliminate the chance at growing a team from scratch, something Gregg Popovich did with the prime San Antonio team that won five titles.

So, where does that leave Durant?

The Wolves are advised against trading for Kevin Durant

The reports about Durant dismissing the idea of being on the Timberwolves sounded astonishing. He and Anthony Edwards grew very close after playing together for Team USA at the Paris Olympics. To Ant, the Slim Reaper is his idol. But Durant may have washed away the chance to play with him. Or maybe he didn’t.

Unlike Bradley Beal, the Suns don’t have to approve of Durant’s request. So the Timberwolves can still make an offer and possibly poach the former MVP. It would help lift the spirits of their young ace. But it could also have an equally detrimental effect if Durant doesn’t want to be there.

“I think there might even be more, so even more risk here because Aunt looks up to him so much. Like I just think when you talk about like you know vibes matter, and I would be very concerned about vibes when he’s telling you, hey I don’t want to be there please don’t trade me or trade for me and then you do it anyway. uh the there’s risk beyond uh salary cap and what you’re giving up and you know the basketball stuff,” Hoop Collective’s Tim McMahon noted.

McMahon doesn’t feel it would be greatly beneficial for the Wolves’ roster to have Durant. But on the contrary, it would help offload some pressure from Anthony Edwards. The only issue is that with his heart not beating for Minnesota, there’s no guarantee of how bought in Durant will be to the culture.

His trade is going to be a tricky plot of the offseason. How do you think it will end?