The Miami Heat are playing with fire again, and missing out on Kevin Durant, if it's the front office's goal to build a win-now team, would be a massive hit to this team's chances in the Eastern Conference next season. The fact that there are whispers that the Heat may not be operating with a sense of urgency in trade talks with the Phoenix Suns for KD is pretty alarming.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Suns are not "excited" about any offer that the Heat have currently made. That sentiment could certainly change, but that leads me to believe that Miami has not put its best assets on the table. It also makes me wonder just how serious the Heat is about trading KD overall.
There's a more philosophical conversation that can be had, centered around whether the Heat should be pursuing KD in the first place. However, if this is a path the Heat truly wants to explore, and if they believe KD can help them reemerge as a relevant contender in the East next season, they can't afford to take these trade negotiations lightly.
This passionless approach to a trade of KD could end up leading to disaster for the Heat. Because if not KD, then who for Miami?
Why the Heat need KD
If the Heat are not going to embrace a bigger rebuild, which there are no indications that they would even if they missed out on KD, they have to hit on a star. In the current star market, it's extremely difficult for a team that hasn't spent years collecting draft assets and young players to pull off a big deal for a star player.
Just look at the list of teams that have traded for a star recently. Many, if not all, of those teams spent a handful of years "tanking" or embracing taking a couple of steps back before they could find themselves in a position to take a big one forward.
The Heat have not done that. They have limited assets, and KD is somewhat of the perfect situation for the Heat to pounce. However, at least up until now, the Heat have failed to do so.
Maybe it's Pat Riley's negotiating tactics at play here, but the argument can be made that there's not a team that needs KD more than the Heat. Missing out on KD is likely going to end in a much bigger mistake this offseason, or perhaps another year of NBA purgatory.
Sure, there are many who don't believe the Heat should be pursuing KD in the first place. But if they want to keep pace in the Eastern Conference and attempt to claw their way back into the title picture, KD is the first domino to help them move in that direction.
Right now, the Heat is playing another dangerous game of chicken. The last time the Heat did so in the trade market, it led to them missing out on Damian Lillard and eventually losing Jimmy Butler.
Miami needs to get serious in its pursuit of KD. If not, this could only be the tip of the iceberg of disappointment that could be awaiting this team this summer.