This trade deadline has been the most eventful one in NBA history. Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis were traded for each other in a move that sent shockwaves through the league, De’Aaron Fox was shipped to San Antonio then was replaced in Sacramento by Zach LaVine, and, of course, the Jimmy Butler saga has been the story that just won’t go end. There’s just over a day left until the deadline passes, and it seems possible that things are about to go even more haywire, as the Golden State Warriors are reportedly seeking to reunite with Kevin Durant.
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ESPN’s Brian Windhorst appeared on Get Up this morning to talk about the potential of a KD return to the Bay. The Warriors are trying to turn around a difficult season, and the Suns are pivoting to a new course after their attempts to trade Bradley Beal for Butler have thus far proven unsuccessful. Windhorst said,
“This is potentially a three-, four-, five-team transaction. It could involve like a dozen other players … it could involve Jimmy Butler, because it is possible that the Suns can acquire Jimmy Butler, not for Brad Beal, but for Kevin Durant.”
Though Windhorst stressed that the mechanics of any potential deal were extremely complicated, this is a move that is very much in play.
.@Windhorstespn weighs in on the possibility of Kevin Durant returning to play with Steph Curry and the Warriors ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UzfMlszg9p
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 5, 2025
“And so that after a month of trying to pair them together they could end up, in an elaborate way, being traded for one another.”
With both teams desperate to make some kind of major move, Windhorst believes that Devin Booker and Steph Curry are the only players on either roster who are guaranteed to still be wearing the same uniform this time next week.
The Warriors have completely shifted their approach this trade deadline
Golden State players and coaches have been talking for weeks about the need to be smart and not compromise future stability in pursuit of short-term goals. But it’s looking like that rationale is not sitting well with owner Joe Lacob, who has reportedly grown impatient as the team has languished around .500. Windy says that Golden State has been in search of another star to pair with Curry for a long time, and as the Suns have shifted their priorities and made Durant available, that has caused the Warriors to rethink their conservative deadline philosophy.
“25-24, veteran team, underachieving, difficult time trading for a star. They’ve been looking for a year for a star. They’ve been looking for LeBron, for Paul George, for [Lauri] Markkanen … Very aggressive owner, who can’t stand this.”
The Warriors and Suns don’t have much time to sort out the inner workings of this trade, especially if it is to include multiple teams like the Heat and others. The first time KD went to Golden State, the move was met with derision around the league, but this time it would be something that most fans would like to see. Can Durant and Curry rekindle their old magic, or are the glory days in the past? This trade deadline just keeps getting better and better.
