The Miami Heat will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second game of their opening-round playoff series on Wednesday, April 23. Erik Spoelstra’s team is currently 0-1, having dropped the first game on Sunday, April 20.
Despite Miami’s strong showing during the play-in tournament, the Cavaliers are heavy favorites to progress onto the Eastern Conference Semifinals and beyond. As such, the Heat are already being floated in potential trade discussions. Pat Riley will likely be active in searching for a new star during the summer.
According to Marc Stein, the Heat remain one of the more “frequently cited” Kevin Durant’s trade destinations. The veteran superstar is expected to be traded by the Phoenix Suns in the coming months.
“Minnesota, New York, Miami and San Antonio rank as the most frequently cited potential Durant suitors,” Stein reported on April 22. “League sources, in particular, have been pinpointing the Timberwolves and Knicks depending on how their postseasons play out.”
Durant, 36, is the most likely trade candidate for the Suns. He is entering the final year of his current contract. Furthermore, Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause, and Devin Booker is the Suns’ franchise cornerstone. For Miami, Durant would instantly replace the star power the franchise lost when Jimmy Butler forced his way out of South Beach earlier this year.
Proposed Trade Would Send Durant to Heat
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz laid out a potential trade package that would send Durant to the Heat. The trade looks like this:
Miami Heat Receive: Kevin Durant
Phoenix Suns Receive: Kel’el Ware, Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier, 2025 first-round pick (via Golden State Warriors), 2030 first-round pick (top-five protected via Miami Heat)
“Durant should like the idea of moving back to the Eastern Conference and joining a team with two All-Stars in their mid-20s while playing for one of the best coaches in the league in Erik Spoelstra,” Swartz reasoned. “Durant and Spoelstra won an Olympic Gold Medal together with Team USA last summer.”
The only player in that package that would hurt Heat fans is Ware. Both Robinson and Rozier have struggled of late. If those three talents (coupled with some picks) is enough to land Durant, it seems logical that Miami will be among the front runners in any bidding war.
Durant And Miami Had Mutal Interest
During an April 2 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Durant had mutual interest with multiple teams at the trade deadline, with Miami being one of them.
“Back at the NBA trade deadline, there was a list of teams with which there was mutual interest with Kevin Durant,” Charania said. “Those teams, from my understanding, are Minnesota, that’s New York, Houston, San Antonio and Miami.
Durant is the ideal Butler replacement. He’s an elite scorer. Has genuine size. He is one of the best players in his position of all time. Furthermore, Durant brings championship experience, which Miami is sorely lacking. Nevertheless, the Heat will undoubtedly face a fight to secure a trade package for Durant. Multiple teams around the league will likely show an interest.
Still, if the Heat can bring Durant to South Beach, they could be competing for a championship as soon as next season.
