Detroit made inquiries about both Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard over the offseason, according to ESPN's Vincent Goodwill. Leonard reportedly had no interest in joining the Pistons, and Houston wasn't willing to engage on Durant.
The pursuits came as Detroit looked to add around Cade Cunningham before eventually locking up Jalen Duren on a five-year, $200 million deal.
+3Rival executives are watching whether Portland could rehab Ja Morant's value before flipping him, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer said, though his $87M salary and injury history make a deadline deal unlikely.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst said Houston locking up Amen Thompson on a $208 million extension frees the Rockets to pursue another big trade, though he was unsure of the timing. He named Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun as the two other max-money players who could realistically move.
A hypothetical proposal would send Kevin Durant and Steven Adams to Golden State in exchange for Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski, an unprotected 2032 first-round pick and 2028 first-round swap rights going to Houston.
