Timberwolves expected to pursue Kevin Durant to pair with Anthony Edwards in potential blockbuster

The Timberwolves flirtation with Kevin Durant may not be over. After trying to land him midseason, Minnesota is “expected to pursue a Durant trade again this offseason” as they search for another “alpha” next to Anthony Edwards, according to a report from Hoops Wire. Durant, who turns 37 before next season, is “interested in playing for the Timberwolves,” the outlet added. The Timberwolves made a “last ditch effort” to trade for the former NBA MVP at the February trade deadline.Durant remained with the Suns through the rest of the season, but murmurs of him headed out of Phoenix this offseason haven’t died down.ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently projected the odds of a Durant trade at 98 percent.Fellow ESPN insider Shams Charania previously reported that the Suns, Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, are “working together” on his “next trade home.”The Rockets have also been mentioned as a possible trade destination for Durant after falling in the first round to the Warriors.Edwards and Durant grew close last summer during the Paris Olympics. Windhorst said during a podcast appearance over the summer that Edwards was “trailing Kevin Durant around like [Durant is his] big brother” while overseas. “Literally, Ant gets off the bus with Durant.When they warm up before practice, Ant is standing next to Durant.

… Ant cannot get enough of him,” Windhorst added. In his 17th season in the NBA last year, Durant averaged 26.6 points while shooting 52.7 percent during a 36-46 Suns season that resulted in coach Mike Budenholzer being fired after one year.The Timberwolves are looking to get over the hump after losing in the Western Conference finals in each of the past two seasons....