The Miami Heat have failed to complete a trade for superstar scorer Kevin Durant. It's a disappointing turn of events that has many Heat fans pondering if the path to contending will be walked before the arrival of the 2025-26 season.
Whether or not Miami competes for a championship next year, what's clear is that the Heat are unwilling to sacrifice their future for an off chance at achieving that dream.
The Heat were one of several teams mentioned as suitors for Durant during what became a wild competition. In the end, the four-time scoring champion wound up with the Houston Rockets, with the Phoenix Suns receiving Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, the No. 10 pick at the 2025 NBA Draft, and five future second-round selections.
According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, one of the reasons the Heat failed to beat the Rockets' offer for Durant was their refusal to trade Kel'el Ware.
Kel'el Ware was among the sticking points in the Heat's negotiations with the Suns that eventually led to Kevin Durant being traded to the Rockets, according to a league source. The Heat was reluctant to include Ware in its offers for Durant.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) June 22, 2025
For as disappointing as it is to miss out on Durant, the Heat proved to have their senses about them in regard to preserving their future.
Heat wisely refused to trade Kel'el Ware for Kevin Durant
Ware, 21, is coming off of one of the better rookie seasons by a Heat player in recent memory. He posted averages of 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 offensive boards, and 1.1 blocks in just 22.2 minutes per game, shooting at a clip of .554/.315/.687.
For what it's worth: Ware's season averages translated to marks of 15.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.9 offensive boards, 1.5 assists, 1.8 blocks, 1.0 steal, and 0.9 three-pointers made per 36 minutes.
Furthermore, Ware's presence at center helped unlock a new level of Bam Adebayo's offensive potential. Ware started 36 games after Jan. 21, during which time Adebayo averaged 20.6 points per contest—up from the 15.7 he averaged during his previous 40 appearances.
During that same time, Ware emerged as a nightly double-double threat, averaging 10.7 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 54.4 percent from the field.
With the interior duo of the future seemingly in place, Miami can move forward with far less to worry about. Ware should only improve as time goes on, and his upside is that of an All-Star while his basement appears to be a quality two-way big.
He offers instant reason for intrigue as a 7'0" and 230-pound center with a 7'4.5" wingspan and impressive mobility, and the signs of a reliable outside shot only increase the appeal.
Perhaps Ware will fall short of the lofty expectations that have been placed upon him, but giving up on his development after just one promising year would've been ill-advised. Doing so for Durant, who will turn 37 in September, would've been an investment focused specifically on the short term—promising as it would've been.
Rather than allowing the short-term appeal of acquiring Durant to distract them from the remarkable long-term vision they're in the early stages of embracing, however, the Heat committed to Ware as a franchise building block.
Losing out on Durant isn't easy to stomach, but the Heat have proven that their priorities are in order.