The Golden State Warriors could be set for involvement in an historic NBA trade centered around their former 2x Finals MVP Kevin Durant.
But no, the Warriors won't be getting Durant after pushing hard for a reunion with the superstar forward before landing Jimmy Butler at February's mid-season trade deadline. Instead, it sounds like the Warriors could be one of seven teams involved in an expanded trade that gets Durant to the Houston Rockets.
Warriors could be part of an historic trade for the second-straight year
The Rockets and Phoenix Suns agreed to a deal before the draft that would send Durant to Houston for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 overall pick (Khaman Maluach). However, the deal is still not official, giving the Warriors and others a chance to get involved.
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the potential trade would involve the Rockets, Suns, Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves. While this sounds crazy in theory, it seems from a Warrior perspective that it will only be an expansion on their own draft night trades.
"Only five players who were in the NBA last season are being discussed in the current iteration of the trade, as of now: Durant, Brooks, Green, Clint Capela and Daeqwon Plowden, league sources say. The rest of the players being discussed are all from already-agreed-upon draft-night trades that are yet to be finalized and can't be until July 6," Katz wrote.
Golden State went into the draft with the No. 41 pick, but traded back in the hours leading up to the second-round in a deal with the Suns that saw them acquire picks 52 and 59. The Warriors drafted Australian forward Alex Toohey at 52, then traded up to the 56th pick to land Florida national championship winner Will Richard.
Toohey and Richard were introduced to the media early in the week, with both named to play in Golden State's Summer League campaign which starts at the California Classic on Saturday.
Even if there's no material addition or subtraction to the Warriors, the potential of a seven-team trade is still a wild development and would mark the most teams involved in a deal in NBA history. That record was broken last year as part of Klay Thompson's move to the Dallas Mavericks, with Golden State acquiring Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield in what was a six-team sign-and-trade.
For now Katz reports that "no trade is imminent, and details are being ironed out as of Wednesday night." The Warriors potential involvement in this comes as they prioritize a solution on the future of Jonathan Kuminga as a restricted free agent, while they also remain a likely landing spot for Boston Celtics big man Al Horford.