Report: Grizzlies Tried To Trade For Kevin Durant

According to ESPN’s Bob Myers, the Memphis Grizzlies tried to trade for NBA legend Kevin Durant. 

However, Durant made it known behind the scenes that he didn’t want to play for the Grizzlies. 

The Phoenix Suns took trade calls on Durant but decided not to trade the future Hall of Famer. 

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

Durant is averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season while shooting 52.4% from the field, 39.8% from beyond the arc and 82.7% from the free-throw line. The NBA icon is making $51.2 million. 

The Golden State Warriors had a deal to acquire Durant from the Suns. The Miami Heat would have traded Jimmy Butler to the Suns while getting Andrew Wiggins from Golden State. 

However, Durant blocked the trade by making it known he didn’t want to return to the Warriors. 

According to NBA reporter Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors underestimated Durant‘s coldness toward a return. 

“At some point in the last several days, Stephen Curry had a conversation with Kevin Durant that convinced him a reunion was extremely unlikely, no matter how much the Golden State Warriors ownership group and front office collectively ‘underestimated’ Durant’s coldness toward a return, as one team source put it,” Slater wrote. “Eventually the decision-makers accepted the inevitable and pivoted their NBA trade deadline plans to Jimmy Butler. Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause locked the Phoenix Suns out of the Butler sweepstakes. That piece of unchanging information allowed general manager Mike Dunleavy, owner Joe Lacob and assistant general manager Kirk Lacob a level of patience, even while Butler postured about his lack of Warriors’ interest in hopes of a miracle in Phoenix, where a longer max extension awaited.”

The Grizzlies are 35-16. They are in second place in the West. 

Meanwhile, both the Suns and Warriors are struggling. Phoenix (25-25) is in 10th place in the West and Golden State (25-25) is in 11th. 

The Warriors acquired Butler from the Heat while sending Wiggins to South Beach.