Kevin Durant wants out of his situation in Brooklyn and the Miami Heat are one of the teams expected to make a strong push for him. The other strong contender to land the former MVP is the Phoenix Suns.
Surely, over half of the NBA is seeking to make a deal for Kevin Durant, but the favorites to complete the deal are, presumably, the Heat and the Suns. Durant listed both teams as his preferred destinations.
Although the Nets could trade Durant anywhere, these teams will be more aggressive with their trade negotiations. The Miami Heat have a great chance to land him too.
They have a lot of young talent, headlined by Tyler Herro, that could entice the Brooklyn Nets. They have a former Team USA teammate of Kevin Durant’s in Bam Adebayo, who the former MVP is interested in playing with.
They also have Pat Riley, who knows how to get big stars to his team. However, the Suns have a slight edge over the Heat right now.
Durant slightly favors playing in Phoenix, per the reports.
The Miami Heat are one of the teams who could acquire Kevin Durant via trade. Here’s why the longer trade talks take, the better their chances get.
The Suns have young players as well.
It is going to be a close race until the end with both teams, as well as the rest of the NBA. That being said, the difference between Phoenix and Miami could fall on one player—Deandre Ayton.
Ayton is a restricted free agent for the Suns. They are not interested in offering him a max contract.
The Suns need Ayton under their control in order to make a sign-and-trade deal worth enough for a Durant trade. But, why would he help them?
Here is where things get interesting.
As time goes on, the Suns will run out of options. If a Durant trade is not made quickly, the Suns will be forced to make a decision on Ayton, or else he will go to another team.
Either way, the Suns would lose the most valuable player that they could offer in a trade for Kevin Durant. The Nets are going to have many offers to consider.
If they aren’t completely satisfied with their trade compensation, trade talks could stall. This would turn the tide in favor of the Miami Heat to acquire Kevin Durant.
It could completely take the Phoenix Suns out of contention. The Miami Heat already have a decent chance to land Durant, but the less competition they have, the better their chances are.
If their biggest threat in Phoenix loses trade assets, it would greatly increase Miami’s chances. Hopefully, something occurs that eventually sees Kevin Durant somehow end up with the Miami Heat.
If he does come to South Florida, he would significantly increase their chances of winning the NBA championship next year. So, keep your fingers crossed that the Miami Heat can get it done.