Time is ticking on Kevin Durant’s future with the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns are aiming to trade Durant, 36, by the 2025 NBA Draft, which is exactly one week away. The issue is that they have no leverage because they mistakenly threw him into trade talks ahead of the trade deadline when they didn’t need to. Miami is one of his three preferred destinations because of its willingness to extend a contract to the 37-year-old upon acquiring him. However, the issue that Phoenix is running into is that none of them are particularly aggressive in pursuing Durant due to the leverage.
We know that Houston and San Antonio possess far more ammo than the Heat in any Durant negotiation, but who will be willing to blink first? Regardless of whether the Heat are able to snag the 15-time All-Star on a “discounted” price, what happens after should hold more weight.
The Heat’s plan after acquiring Kevin Durant is more important than the acquisition itself:
We aren’t many weeks removed from the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers dismantling the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of this year’s playoffs, which occurred after the 37-win Heat became the first team in NBA History to win two play-in games on the road against Chicago and Atlanta, respectively.
Over four months after parting ways with a disgruntled Jimmy Butler, Heat president Pat Riley is seeking his new “whale.” Cough cough, it’s Durant, who the Heat have pursued on multiple occasions, but never had enough to 1.) please the team they’re trading with and 2.) compete with their peers in an attempt to lure Durant.
This offseason is a different story–Miami appears to “have enough,” but remains devoid of assets with far too many holes to plug. Here’s what they’re working with right now:
- Three tradable first-round picks (2025, 2030, 2032)
- None of their own second-round picks
- Andrew Wiggins (two years left on contract, had one of worst seasons of his career)
- A collection of intriguing young players!
- Kel’el Ware (arguably the Heat’s best asset not named Bam Adebayo)
- Nikola Jovic (skilled wing who’s only played 107 games in three years)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (sophomore slump)
- Terry Rozier (had one of the worst seasons of his career, has a partial guarantee that’s roughly 95 percent of the way guaranteed)
- Duncan Robinson (can offer $10 million in salary relief!)
- Haywood Highsmith ($5.6 million expiring)
- Kyle Anderson (good locker room vet on inexpensive contract)
That’s … a barren treasure chest.
The Heat have finished in the bottom-third offensively in each of the last three seasons. Durant, by himself, helps alleviate a few of those troubles, as he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 52.7 percent shooting, including 43.0 percent from 3-point range and 839 percent from the free-throw line (albeit a career-worst).
There’s a world where he raises the floor of their offense to a top-15 unit. However, there’s still plenty of work to do around the fringes.
Durant’s presence doesn’t impact the Heat’s lack of rim pressure, movement shooting–especially if the Heat trade Robinson, who’s one of their more attractive assets because of his contract–point-of-attack defense, wing defense, need for a (playable) backup big, etc.
Not to mention, Durant, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo would allocate for nearly 80 percent of the cap in 2025-26 and, if Durant’s extended for the full $124 million max beyond this upcoming season, 84.4 percent in ’26-27.
Flexibility and optionality would be limited. Either sacrifices would be made to replenish what you sent out–capitalizing on the market–or you’re left with less options to consolidate (unless you take back at least one bad contract attached with an asset or draft capital) while relying on several free agents to take less than market value to sign with the Heat.
It’s possible, but your margin for error becomes demonstrably thin, especially if you’re banking on Durant to 1.) be your best offensive player and 2.) stay healthy, when he’s appeared in just 68.5 percent of his available games (with two Grade 2 MCL sprains) since 2019-20 (out for season; ruptured achilles).
How the Heat maintain flexibility would be just as important. It’s difficult to put together formidable top-heavy rosters in today’s NBA, except when the stars are in the thick of their prime (i.e. Celtics). That wouldn’t be the Heat if they inserted Kevin Durant into the mix, even with as skilled as Durant is offensively.
He helps, but the former MVP isn’t fixing all of the Heat’s deficiencies no matter the cost. We just saw them have their worst season in a decade, just to get blasted out of the first-round. They’re still far from contention, with or without Durant.
Plenty of work would have to be done to salvage this mess. You acquire Kevin Durant if you think you’re on the fringe of contention. Your plan must be flawless, it must be foolproof, or else what’s the point of taking that swing in the first place?!?
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Listened to all the rantings on First Take this morning on how the Heat missed out on
KD.
Ridiculous arguement from all off them.
1. Just last week, they all said KD needs to go to another team that is one player away from the Finals. They all ruled out NY Knicks because the Knicks needed more than a KD. Hello! The Knicks that literally was a thorn for the Heat all through the regular season was not a good fir for KD but the Heat that struggled against the Knicks is now a good fit for KD? Come on guys.
2. I watched the Suns struggle last season with KD on the roster. Several games KD looked lack luster in offense and in defense he has struggled a bit. He looked 2 shades from the KD I know.A team like the Heat that needs at least 2 players to beef up their competitiveness, the KD I saw last year, only the addition of him alone and loss of several good young players will not make much positive difference, in my opinion. The team depth will be very shallow.
3. Heat’s perimeter offense and defense lacked consistency last season.That was the Heat’s Achilles heel last season and needs to be fixed.
4. The Heat was fixated on 3s last season even when there were easy lay ups that were there for the taken.That has to change this season.
5. Debate still goes on whether the Heat needs a stand out PG or not. I believe the Heat have surprised many without one. If some of Hero’s decision making this coming season is a nitch better than last season, which I hope wiil be , as he hss progressively improved in his game after each season,I see no reason to be hung up all year for a pg. If Heat gets one good, if they don’t, all Hell should not break loose.
6. How many seasons has SGA (7), Tatum (8), Brunson (7), Brown (9),Haliburton (5), Mitchell (8), Hero(6) Paolo Banchero (3) been in the NBA? Hero is right there in the mix. With his steady progress each year and him understanding of what is required from him, I hope this coming season or next will be his breakout season.
If the Heat can get at least two 2 way players, the Heat will be in a better place.
With the current squad the Heat are 2 to 3 pieces away from being competitive in the NBA.
I am surprised that KD is interested in the Heat. I would have thought that KD will be interested in a team that is one player away from the championship, like the Pacers, the Knicks, the Timberwolves etc.
likes heat culture i guess.but ultimately hes gonna go to a contender
This is the 2nd time , I have heard him linked with the Heat. Probably he will like to be a Heat player, like you said. Just watching what happens.
hows life in uranus btw
I hear it’s stinky.
what % do u have kd going to heat? id say 60
I don’t know, but if they give away Ware and try to go back to using Bam as center and Durant at PF, I guarantee you 100% that Bam is going to request a trade in the not-too-distant future.
Always easy and sweet up here.
To have an excuse for failing again.
enough of KD, next pls…Giannis+Connaughton for Tyler, Wiggs, Ware! worked in trade machine
please would tyler herro get a minute of action with these teams?.no no and no
Most of the Heat team wouldn’t have. OKC sure could have used some 3 point shooting. Jus sayin.
j will is very inconsistent.tys a great shooter but he couldnt ball with those dawgs hed get destroyed out there.theyd hunt him every play so what good is he
only bam
thats as good a qtr ive seen all playoffs wow ind forcing game 7
ind has like 9 ballers we have 1(bam)lifes not fair
Durant ain’t gonna change that either, is he?
he counts as 3.of course him bam ware gonna need help,nobody ever mentions josh chris.he looks like a baller give the man a shot hes not your protypical pat riley player however,sun u have a chance to get a generational player who is unguardable at age 37 u gotta try to get him.i love watching greatness play for the heat.if im him i go to houston or minn.
Only if the price is not too high. If Phoenix also wants a testicle thrown in there to close the deal, are you volunteering?
if he was 27 maybe at this age ill donate a dozen duncan donuts my wifes wig and my hero in life
LMAO
herro dunc wig for kd your doing that sun?the suns might bite on that san diego .sun biting?
Who replaces Herro’s 24 ppg? Burkes or Larsson?
ind got poppin nesmith for bag of popcorn where was our guy .sunman did u send resume in yet
They’re all full up. Everything is under control.
if pat riley did the homework u do id have met rc 30 big on bisc blvd in july
sga pushes off all the time
tjs instincts off the chart
tj impacts winning play him carlisle.i know hes a whitesider but hes a baller
everytime tj plays hes really good not sure if he can be a starter.does ind need a sg that cant guard very well
jvg and mj sorely missed in these nba finals
There’s no such thing as a “fool proof plan” when it comes to sports and particularly bb. After everything is done, when rubber meets the road, that would really tell if what any fo has done is a success. We don’t celebrate what’s on paper. But getting the supposedly right personnel in Heat’s culture then the team looks headed in the right direction. Cross fingers. Again.
As we have explored this trade opportunity and talked it out I have realized that it just doesn’t make sense no matter how you approach it. We simply would be hurting ourselves, as much or more, as helping ourselves. The return, even discounted, is too much for us to consider as it would also necessitate getting a few more players, possibly a center and a point guard, to close holes in our remaining roster depending on who we send to Phoenix, or why even do it?
And the loss of assets, players and especially our few remaining picks, would be way more impactful than the possible addition of KD
We just don’t have the resources. Miami is backed into a corner with a roster that needs some turning over but with some elements that may be hard to move, or if movable, won’t bring much back.
We have to bite the bullet, try to enjoy our season as much as possible, and start to try to fix our roster. We can’t trade anyone that subtracts from our tiny core of Bam, Wiggins, Mitchell, and Ware. Everyone else is tradeable and quite a few should be traded, although we could keep three or four of the remaining seven. First, and most importantly, Herro will bring us back the most and should definitely be moved as it would be another huge mistake to give him the next contract. We need to trade at least three, better yet four, of the following, JJJ, Jovic, Dunc, Rozier, HH, and Anderson. I think Burks is useful and inexpensive.
We have a weak GM, one who was previously great but those days are long gone. It is proof of his ineffectiveness now that he is even wasting his time entertaining this foolish KD talk. So, until he is gone, we are going to suffer. The real necessary step would be his removal.
But, since that isn’t coming, get ready for some really lean years. Try to find things to enjoy, like seeing if Ware, JJJ or Jovic develop, and get used to mediocrity. It gives me no pleasure to write this but, if we are being honest, we are so far behind now, it’s a fait accompli.
I’m a little surprised that you seem so high on Wiggins. I had big hopes for him when the trade was announced, but he was pretty disappointing this season, and it sounds like he’s not thrilled to be in Miami. Unless that perspective changes significantly over the summer (and assuming either no Durant trade happens or that Wiggins isn’t part of any Durant trade) I think one of our priorities should be finding the biggest return we can get for Wiggins once the season starts. It’s not unreasonable that we could get a Mario Chalmers-level point guard in exchange for Wiggins, and that would do a lot to right our ship on its own.
Wiggs for me looks like a Jimmy Butler lite. So not enough to take this team top 6 in east even. Someone has to take the cudgels of take over guy specially in end game. We tried Bam then Tyler, they can still develop but for now we might find it in another player. A star player…or players. Again cross fingers.
hes mikal bridges nothing like quitter
You should know how I see it by now.. I wish we had a roster similar to OKC and Indy. Or even the Wolves or Knicks. I have grown tired and disenchanted by the direction this team has taken over the last few years as Butler was so transcendent of a talent in his prime that many of the shortcomings were covered up. Now that he’s gone they are going to be more observable.
I didn’t know Wiggins felt that way. I was just trying to keep the players who would help us win the most in the not so distant future. If you mean that we would get Chalmers in his prime for Wiggins, that is kind of meh too. Maybe our only core player is Bam, and hopefully Ware. Even Ware has some improving to do and Mitchell certainly is no starter PG, so maybe we are worse off than my already dire take.
yeah I’m kinda the same.
I liked the idea of getting Durant, and I won’t complain if it happens. But the NBA Finals are currently a matchup of two teams built with youth and depth. The Heat have been building that way, even if the results this season weren’t great. Sacrificing all of the youth and depth on the roster to add a 37-year old player is probably not a great idea.
Don’t get me wrong, if the Heat trade Wiggins and Rozier and the ’25 pick for Durant, I’ll be dancing in the streets. But if they have to trade multiple good young guys plus all their tradable picks until 2032, it just feels like a bad investment.
Agreed. I believe, after what the Suns traded for KD, and after what the Magic gave up for Bane, that multiple picks will be required to get KD.
Last year same finals as well as similar ecf wcf younger teams/players which is what the nba is now a young mans game specifically young athletic two way player game something Mia doesn’t have and high time the start over to get some of those players whether it be draft or FA it is what it is. I know some here love Tyler but he and arguably bam should not be here long term if the goal is to win now cause this franchise isn’t close to competing rn. Kd lebron not even Steph is changing that here in Mia
I disagree.
Wiggins is not a part of the core. Mitchell should be, but he is not yet.
I believe, those players should stay next season no matter what.
-Bam (starting level PF)
-Ware (starting level C)
-Mitchell (great backup PG)
-Jovic (solid backup F/PF with a potential to be much better)
All other players should be available, but only for right players. We need a good starting level PG, and replacements for Herro and Wiggins, if there are better players available.
And a backup C.
Yes, that is a good take, and not far from mine. And, I do believe Jovic has a shot to be part of our future, not as good a shot as Ware, who is no sure thing either, but Jovic has a legitimate shot. We see Mitchell the same and, other than Wiggins, pretty much everyone else too, including that you would trade Ty, which I would also. That is not to say Ty isn’t good, he’s good. But, not good enough in overall impact to give him the big contract. And he will bring something back and you also would probably be trading high (for a change).
But, no matter how you see it, the cupboard is pretty bare, and that is a small core needing a lot of augmenting, at least at PG and backup C, for sure, and probably more.
True. But one thing at the time.
1. We need to avoid Durant mistake.
2.We need to trade for a good PG.
3.We need to draft a good player.
4.Take a deep breath, and use next season, to transform Herro, some of young players, vets and expiring contracts into bunch of players, which fits together and can form a young, athletic, versatile team for years to come.
Even if we keep all our assets and send no player out, the Heat is 2 players away from being competitive and not one player away. Hence, in my opinion KD alone is not the answer.
To get KD at the potential asking price of the SUNS, the Heat needs a major restructuring of the personnel and some money play that makes sense to be economically viable. All hands have to be on deck with inputs from KD no doubt.
Personal emotions have to be set aside on who stays and who goes, first and foremost!
I think getting a good PG should be more of a priority than getting KD
I think the same too.
Sun man any thoughts on Herro gone if Durant acquired?
I’ve been giving this some thought. First and foremost, I think surrendering our first round picks for the foreseeable future plus players for Durant is a very, very bad idea. In this scenario, Robinson is bought out for $9,888,000 (saving $10,000,000)
Here goes, for what it’s worth:
DEPTH CHART
PG: White/Mitchell/Smith
SG: DeRozan/Burks/Larsson
SF: Kuminga/Highsmith*/Johnson
PF: Bam/Jovic/Collins*
C: Ware/Valanciunas/Love*
*Highsmith, Collins and Love are on expiring contracts ($25.8M)
looks like kd going to houston or miami.if he comes here there will be follow up move.demar.this would give us a 3 year window to win a chip.reloading is to risky and counting on our youngens to be future ballers also risky.the surer path is kd derozan which is very doable.i see no good future 2 wayers except ware or keshod and they are not locks either
Durant will turn 37 in September, he is injury-prone and is nearing the end of his career. Trading for DeRozan may require a draft pick. He only has 2 years left on his contract, not 3. If Miami trades for Durant, it could leave Miami with a gutted roster, depleted draft picks and no avenue to reload, re-tool or rebuild after Durant’s short term window closes. The outlook is even worse if he suffers a serious injury.
Furthermore, the team you have described is not elite, without better all around defenders and an all-star level PG. Is it really worth the risk of having a mediocre team for the next 5 or more years if Miami puts all of it’s eggs in one basket now? For what, a possible second round exit instead of a first?
your way we could suk forever the way pats going. the youngens here are not diff makers at best bench players except for ware.i say kd demar next 3 yearsstill have mitch bam ware everybody else very replaceable
I saw a proposed trade for KD that includes Wiggins, Jaquez, Jovic, Robinson and 2025 pick. That might fly if it is enough to cover his salary without having cap problems. Suns refuse to budge and are trying to get Ware or other interested teams to bid higher.
no ware or bam sun anybody else goes
ok after 3 years then royally suk get a wemby type player then
is he still a top 10 player?no kd this team can be mediocre for next 5-10 years very easily sun.when your best 2 players are ty and bam and after that not much else u r in deep doo doo.teams like brooklyn wash char atl have been trying to improve for like a decade we could be added to that list soon
Through years of tanking and the DRAFT!
as long as the panthers are contending for jewelry i can take some heat gap years,
pat over valued ty bam and dunc and keeps drafting whitesiders,does he think this is the 60s