Kevin Durant has a long list of suitors. Unfortunately, the Miami Heat may not have the assets to compete with the competition.
The Miami Heat will enter the 2025 offseason searching for ways to make drastic improvements in the blink of an eye. Miami has long proven willing to pivot, but its history of acquiring superstar talent has given it a unique perspective on what's possible in the span of one offseason.
Unfortunately for the Heat, the path to trading for top offseason target Kevin Durant is littered with competitors who may have more to offer to the Phoenix Suns.
Durant and the Suns are headed toward a split that many expect to result in a blockbuster trade. Miami has inevitably been linked to the former MVP, but it's thus far been unclear exactly who the competition will be as far as compiling the best trade offer is concerned.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Heat are among five teams that have been readily identified as expressing interest in trading for Durant.
"Teams that have expressed interest in Durant, sources said, mainly feature the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. Several wild-card suitors have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven to 10 days, sources said."
Unfortunately for Miami, the competition for Durant seemingly implies that their pursuit of the future Hall of Famer will be more complicated than anticipated.
Competition for Durant could rule Heat out of sweepstakes
Miami certainly has an intriguing combination of assets to offer in any potential deal for Durant. That includes the No. 20 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, future first-rounders in 2029 and 2031, and some combination of young players such as Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and Kel'el Ware.
The Heat also have All-Star pieces to either move or pair with Durant in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, as well as the contracts to make the finances align with Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, and Andrew Wiggins.
Miami could heighten the appeal of its draft assets by moving its 2025 first-round pick for a 2027 first-rounder. That seemingly lateral move would give it the ability to interchange its 2028 and 2030 selections for those in 2029 and 2031. That's mere speculation, but the point stands that Pat Riley and company have options.
Unfortunately, the teams with which the Heat will be competing have assets that may overshadow what Riley will be able to offer.
Houston, for instance, has an abundance of promising young players and former lottery picks to pair with its surplus of future first-round picks. San Antonio, meanwhile, has at least one first-rounder in every draft between 2025 and 2031—including the Nos. 2 and 14 selections in 2025.
New York could build a package around at least one of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns, while Minnesota can package Jaden McDaniels, the No. 17 pick in 2025, and additional assets.
The Heat are by no means out of the running for Durant simply because the competition is stiff. They will struggle to match the best possible offers from their competition, however, which at least complicates the matter of bringing the four-time scoring champion to Miami.
The Heat should remain steadfast in their efforts to land Durant, but the odds of being able to complete a trade are lower than some might hope.