For as much as the Miami Heat franchise would've been buoyed by the acquisition of Kevin Durant, they may have dodged a major bullet if the recent whispers are true. According to recent reports, KD is preparing to sign a two-year, $100-plus million extension with the Houston Rockets. It's a commitment that probably would've done more worse than good for the Heat.
Even though it's not much of a surprise that KD is set to sign an extension with the Rockets, I can't envision a scenario in which such a move would've been in the best interest of the team. Especially considering the upcoming decision they have to make with Tyler Herro.
In many ways, had the Heat acquired KD, it probably would've locked them in even further into NBA mediocrity - especially if you subscribe to the fact that a trio of KD, Bam Adebayo, and Herro wouldn't have elevated the Heat to championship status.
The Heat's climb out of mediocrity
It's probably a path the Rockets knew they were going to have to go down, but it's probably another part of the reason why Miami wasn't entirely willing to go all-in during the pursuit of KD.
While the Heat's climb out of mediocrity won't be easy, I'm not certain acquiring KD wouldn't have been the simple fix many fans believed it would.
Would the franchise and the fan base have gotten some immediate feel-good? Absolutely. However, at the same time, the Heat still would've been saddled with many of the same long-term questions that they still have at the moment.
So, nothing would change in terms of their long-term window, and they would likely have a heavy tax to pay for a team that may not even be conference finals good.
The Heat must continue to practice patience
On the flipside, it's probably not a terrible plan for the Heat to continue to practice patience. Embracing somewhat of a "gap" year in which the team could focus on the development of their young core is a good thing. And if the Heat still wants to pursue a superstar, that's perfectly fine. But finding the right target will be crucial.
It was easy to fall in love with KD. He's a big name and still one of the better players in the league, even though he's probably toward the latter end of his career. However, the honest truth is that, in retrospect, he never made the most sense for the Heat.
If the goal is sustained excellence, KD was never the logical star target for the Heat. And with how things are currently shaping up in Houston, it's pretty clear things probably worked out for the best in Miami.