The Miami Heat want Kevin Durant but it’s going to be tough to get him
There are a lot of variables involved in any deal that would see the Nets star head to Miami, but the team is looking at all of its options.
Though nothing is set in stone, it would appear that the ‘Magic City’ franchise is bent on getting their man.
Miami Heat focused on Kevin Durant
In the two weeks that have passed since Kevin Durant submitted a trade request to the Brooklyn Nets, a lot has happened. Aside from the obvious shock and subsequent ripple effect that reverberated around the league, there was the almost instantaneous clamor among many teams as they all sought to put together feasible trade packages in the hope of landing the Nets star. Durant of course named the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns as his preferred destinations, but to date it would appear that the Nets have received no offer that they find satisfactory. That, however, could be set to change as reports indicate that the Heat are set on signing the former league MVP. That being said, it will take some doing.
The tricky trade of Kevin Durant
In business it goes without saying that you can’t get something for nothing and where basketball is concerned, it’s perhaps even more the case. To be clear, if the Heat want Kevin Durant, it will almost certainly hinge on them sending star Bam Adebayo in the opposite direction. That in itself is not ideal for the Heat, but if even they intended to do so it would be problematic. Why? The Designated Rookie Rule. Said rule means that cannot trade for a player on a Designated Rookie deal while already possessing a player on the same contract. In short, that means that both Adebayo and Ben Simmons, who Brooklyn acquired via the James Harden trade last season can’t be on the same roster.
To add even further complexity to the situation, a trade for Miami would have to include a third or fourth team in order to match what Brooklyn is asking for. It goes without saying that Tyler Herro and some make weights won’t cut it for a team that is desperate to contend after a disastrous 2022. For the sake of argument, it could be that the Nets send Simmons to another team in order to acquire Adebayo, but that would undoubtedly require the cooperation of several teams which seems highly unlikely at this point.
Other NBA teams could affect Kevin Durant’s move to Miami
Another plot twist to consider in this saga, is that of the Utah Jazz and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell who the franchise is reportedly willing to trade if the right offer comes in. It’s been quite some time that reports have indicated that the Heat have an interest in Mitchell, even sending a trade offer to Utah before Rudy Gobert was offloaded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. As we now know the Jazz didn’t accept what they believed was an “insufficient” package, but it’s worth noting that a move for Mitchell would be way less costly than what it would take to bring Durant to the team.
If that wasn’t enough there is also the situation up north. The Toronto Raptors are known to have an interest in Durant, but they have made clear - see Wojnarowski’s tweet above - that they are unwilling to part with Rookie of the Year Scottie Barns. Understandable, considering the fact that while the two-time Finals MVP is clearly worth his weight in gold, Barns is by all indications the future. Does a short term pay off vs long term gains make sense for the Raptors at this point? This is all to say that given how layered the whole scenario is between the Heat, the Suns and the Raptors, Durant may well be staying where he is for some time to come.