DeMarcus Cousins Admits Durant Simply Dislikes Minnesota
Kevin Durant is the most discussed topic outside the ongoing NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. He will be traded, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are the most aggressive in their pursuit.
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Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, Durant is not enthused about the possibility of playing for the organization. KD's former teammate, DeMarcus Cousins, feels this might go beyond a basketball issue, as he thinks Durant does not want to live and play in Minneapolis.
Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
With Durant about to turn 36 by the time the 2025-26 season starts, he is looking for a big long-term contract extension. It is understandable, given he already has a secure legacy with two championships under his belt.
The Timberwolves seem unwilling to offer him the largest contract extension possible, which is understandable because of his age. However, Cousins feels playing in the state of Minnesota is not appealing for Durant.
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Related: Zach Lowe Admits The Kevin Durant Trade To The Timberwolves Is Challenging
Minnesota Might Not Appeal To Durant
A big reason behind why some players do not want to play for the Timberwolves is the weather. It is well known that the state of Minnesota and its cold weather might not be appealing for Durant.
That is different from players like Karl-Anthony Towns, who once said he could wear a jacket. He wanted to get selected number one overall in 2015, and he proudly represented the Timberwolves until the 2024 trade.
Cousins makes a good point about Durant because it will be the final contract of his career. Going somewhere he would like to live while playing basketball might be the best-case scenario, as seen by his preferences; Miami or cities in Texas, the state where he went to college, which are the Spurs and Rockets.
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"I don't know why he wouldn't want to play with a guy like Anthony Edwards. For me, I don't think it's a scenario where he's looking at Anthony Edwards and viewing it as a negative," Cousins said on Run It Back. "If you come from a place like Phoenix where it's warm all year... Kevin Durant is at a place in his career where he deserves to go wherever he wants to go. I think it's more so a city-type situation."
It Should Be Difficult To Deny Playing With Edwards
Almost anyone in the league would want to play for the Timberwolves just because Edwards is there. He is the superstar set to take over the league. Edwards is already arguably the league's best shooting guard, so playing with him should be fun and fruitful.
Unfortunately for Minnesota's fans, Durant is not interested in that. He wants to play basketball with a surefire long-term contract in a place he feels comfortable.
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Cousins and others have pointed out that Minnesota is not an appealing state to most players, but the ambitious ones would jump at the chance to play with Edwards and teammates like Jaden McDaniels.
That should be a sign for Minnesota to look for other players while Durant and the Suns have not made a decision. Players would love to be on the same roster as Edwards, and that could be Minnesota's leverage in negotiations with other players.
Related: Timberwolves Puzzled As Kevin Durant Was Open to Joining Them Back In February
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
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