The Miami Heat are finally free. Well, sort of.
Just like every other team around the entire NBA, they were monitoring the Kevin Durant situation with as close an eye as humanly possible.
Listed as one of his two preferred destinations early on in the process, along with the Phoenix Suns, many, probably including the Miami Heat brass themselves, thought that the South Florida-based ball club was one of the organizations with an advantage in the process.
A month or so and many rumors later, no one had an advantage. That goes for every single party.
The Brooklyn Nets didn’t have leverage because Durant made it known he wanted out, leaving no room for opposing teams to have to woo them. Durant, himself, didn’t have leverage, as he was inked to a long-term deal and Brooklyn didn’t have to move him.
No opposing team had leverage because of Brooklyn’s scenario, as they didn’t have to move him even though he wanted to be moved. This meant that they could, quite literally, ask for what they wanted—and they wanted it all.