Heat’s playoff failures a harsh reminder of who they need to trade for this summer

The Miami Heat’s playoff matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers has shown they are still one big piece away. Luckily for them, they have a chance to swing for arguably one of the biggest pieces available during this upcoming offseason in Kevin Durant. 

A Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo led core may have been enough to squeak by the NBA play-in tournament, but that’s not enough for a franchise that stresses championships like the Heat. They have the structure and stability in place necessary to get back to the league’s biggest stage. 

Now it comes down to Pat Riley’s approach at building a roster with the necessary talent to do so.

This current Heat team is exactly what they are. Too good to tank, but too bad to be a real playoff contender— they are stuck in the middle. 

It’s only fair to assume that notion isn’t enough for an organization led by Riley that doesn’t like to settle for anything less than excellence. And as rival Eastern Conference teams have taken steps in recent years to improve their lineups, Miami has stood pat. 

They almost outworked the Cavaliers to steal a Game 2 win, but the talent of Donovan Mitchell and his clutch shot-making down the stretch fended off a gritty Heat comeback attempt. Mitchell’s ability to close out a pivotal playoff game showed what this Miami core is missing.

Another elite scorer and closer is needed to help Herro and Adebayo. Nobody fits that description more than Kevin Durant. 

Durant is widely expected to be the top name available on the trade market this summer. The experiment with the Phoenix Suns was a failure, and they have already expressed interest in accommodating the future Hall of Famer to be sent to his preferred destination. 

It is worth mentioning that prior to being traded to the Suns two years ago, Durant had his preferred landing spots narrowed down between only Phoenix and Miami. 

Riley almost pulled off acquiring the superstar at this year’s trade deadline, before running out of time and pivoting to settle for an Andrew Wiggins headlined package. In fact, the legendary forward and the Heat have been linked together for several years, and Riley always tends to circle back on players he covets.

The Heat will surely be near the top of Durant's list once again, and rightfully so.

Miami and Durant are a match made in heaven for each side’s current timeline. The Heat want to get back to contention quickly, and Durant is in a short window to do so at the age of 36. He is their best bet at returning to an NBA Finals as fast as possible.

A Heat team that has featured the likes of Jimmy Butler, Herro and Adebayo already had plenty of postseason success in a five-year span. Inserting one of the greatest generational talents of all-time over Butler could be just what they need to get over the hump.

Regardless of his age, Durant has shown virtually zero signs of slowing down. He finished this 2024-25 campaign with averages of 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks on uber efficient 53/43/84 shooting splits.

The Heat will have up to three tradeable first round picks to throw on the table this offseason, along with future pick swaps, young players and salaries to match for a potential blockbuster deal. Riley is fully equipped for potentially his final big move.

And there arguably won’t be a bigger move available than Durant, as Miami’s whale hunting could reach new heights in the very near future.