With the NBA offseason right around the corner, the Miami Heat’s pursuit of Kevin Durant is going to have some stiff competition. Miami has been linked to the 15-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer for months now, stemming all the way back to the 2025 NBA trade deadline.
Outside of this year alone, Durant and the Heat have circled back on eachother with mutual interest several times over the years. Only this time will be their final chance to finally pull off landing the superstar.
Considering Durant will be entering his age-37 campaign at the start of the upcoming 2025-26 season, his next move seems like it could be the final destination of his legendary career. Regardless of being in the latter parts of his 30s, he still remains as one of the league’s premier players and most efficient scorers in the game. In fact, KD still put up All-NBA caliber numbers this past season, averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals on elite 53/43/84 shooting splits.
Perhaps there may be a three-four year window at max, granted he stays healthy, but he has shown zero signs of slowing down. Durant hasn’t had a season of averaging less than 25 points per game since his rookie year back in 2008– almost two decades ago.
He would undoubtedly be a welcome addition that’d fit like a glove to a Heat team desperate for a scoring punch and talent upgrade. The only problem?
The San Antonio Spurs have gained significant traction as a real landing spot for KD as of late.
Unfortunately for Miami, the market for Durant’s services have been extremely competitive. Teams like the Heat, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and more have all been linked to the former MVP and two-time champion in recent weeks. But the San Antonio Spurs is the team that now evidently poses the most competition to the Heat’s pursuit.
According to a recent report from Hoops Wire, backed by Phoenix Suns insider John Gambadoro, Durant views San Antonio as a preferable destination.
Meanwhile, Zach Lowe also recently iterated that the Heat are still in the mix, noting “Miami is going to get involved.”
Lowe mentioned on his podcast this past week that a package headlined by Andrew Wiggins, who Phoenix targeted in trade talks at the deadline— along with Terry Rozier’s expiring, one of Nikola Jovic or Jaime Jaquez Jr. and draft picks “would satisfy a lot.”
Additionally, he threw in the Brooklyn Nets as a possible team to get involved in such deal as a facilitator that net the Suns Nic Claxton as well. It was reported that Phoenix may covet a big man in any framework of a deal. If that’s the case, the Nets freeing themselves from Claxton’s salary could assist in Miami holding onto Kel’el Ware.
At the end of the day, these are all just rumblings that may mean nothing to the eventual Durant move. However, KD’s trade departure out of Phoenix has been inevitable— for Heat Nation, it’s up to the aggression of Pat Riley to make it happen or pivot to the next plan.
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