Recent years on the trade market have not been kind to the Miami Heat. They got a steal of a deal in 2019 by acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Sixers for the low, low cost of Josh Richardson, Hassan Whiteside and a first-round pick, but in the years that followed the record was pocked with misses. An overpay for Kyle Lowry. An overpay for Victor Oladipo. An overpay for Terry Rozier.
And there were the giveaways of draft picks to bribe other teams into taking on the Heat’s mistakes—four second-round picks donated, and two first-round picks, to boot. So when word leaks that the Heat are (again) seeking to make a trade to upgrade the roster, it helps to be somewhat skeptical.
Still, the Miami Herald reports that, “According to three people who have had contact with the Heat, Miami wants to maintain flexibility with that space in case an opportunity to add a high-level player becomes available.”
When it comes to the Heat, the one name that springs to mind as a potential trade target is the guy they’ve been chasing for more than two years now: Star forward Kevin Durant, who has not given an indication he wants out of the Phoenix Suns, but who remains the subject of speculation that he could.
Kevin Durant Considered ‘A Favorite’ — If He Hits the Trade Market
That hasn’t changed. The Suns have publicly said that they want to keep Durant, and want to build on the progress the team made last season after adding Bradley Beal to a team that already had Durant and guard Devin Booker. But as long as speculation that the Durant-Suns partnership could hit the rocks remains, so will his possible connection to the Heat.
Early in this offseason, shortly after the Suns were quickly wiped from the playoffs by the Timberwolves, NBA executives acknowledged that there was a chance Durant could be moved. All eyes fell to Miami at that points.
“There are a few teams that should come up,” one Western Conference executive told Heavy Sports of potential Durant trade partners at that time. “The Heat would be a favorite.”
Not much has changed, other than the strong public stance against trading Durant taken by Suns owner Mat Ishbia. He has held that Booker won’t be dealt, either, though the Heat would certainly have interest in him, too, if he were available.
But Durant is more attainable, if only because he is 35 and in the third year of a four-year, $194 million contract extension. The West executive was asked again (via text) if he expects the Heat would go all-in for Durant if the Suns altered course on trading him. “Absolutely,” he said.
Heat Would Have to Deal Tyler Herro, Picks & More
Thus, the Heat would remain the favorite to acquire Durant if the Suns change course and decide to trade him.
A package built around Tyler Herro, draft picks and one or two young players (Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jacquez Jr.), is probably what it would take to land Durant, who, despite his age, is still a 14-time All-Star who averaged 27.1 points on 50% shooting last year. He is 6-foot-11, able to play all three wing positions and providing switchability on defense.
He has proven difficult to get along with in his recent NBA stops, and if he left Phoenix, would be with the fifth franchise of his career. But he’d be coming into a situation with the Miami Heat in which Jimmy Butler is the clear alpha and Erik Spoelstra is a coach with power.
Durant, presumably, would fall in line in Miami.
And, according to the Miami Herald, the team is keeping space open in case a player like Durant comes onto the trade market.
As reporters Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson wrote, in explaining the lack of action from the Heat this summer: “There have been Heat trade discussions with teams – including one with substantial cap space – though further details are unclear. One of the sources said Miami also wants to see what good players become available in the trade market in the days and weeks ahead.
“So any holding pattern is the byproduct of preferring to leave options open to pursue something meaningful –not a reluctance to spend. Such an opportunity could take a couple days – or several weeks – to emerge.”
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