The Miami Heat should be all-in on acquiring Kevin Durant after the Suns just lowered their asking price (subscription required). A clear need for a go-to scorer developed after Jimmy Butler’s departure, but acquiring a star won’t be easy. Miami traded their 2027 first-rounder to get Terry Rozier and is not flush with young talent. Other teams will outbid them for Giannis, but the Heat have pulled off improbable moves before.
It is why the latest KD rumors open the door. The Suns paid a gigantic price to get Durant and are not recouping that value. The 36-year-old is still elite, but his age and injury history will scare off some franchises. The Suns reportedly want their picks back from Houston, but the Rockets are not giving in. At some point, Phoenix will have to accept the best offer on the table for KD.
The Heat have Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to give Durant a shot to win. Pat Riley is known for building contenders. Herro just made his first All-Star appearance, even if the luster is quickly wearing off. Miami would love to take advantage of a weak Eastern Conference by adding KD.
The Heat should trade for Kevin Durant this offseason
Miami could stack the contracts of Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, and Nikola Jovic to get close to Durant’s $54.7 million salary. This would likely be at least a three-team deal to make the math work. The Heat would keep Herro and Adebayo and outbid the other suitors by offering Jovic and three first-round picks, including the 20th selection in the 2025 draft.
Kel’el Ware may be the sticking point in getting a deal done. The Heat would love to keep the 21-year-old coming off an impressive rookie season, but if the draft pick package shrinks to include Ware, Miami should make it happen.
Remember being all-in doesn’t mean giving up every asset possible. The Heat just need to win the bidding war. If it means selling Ware and Jovic, Miami should still do it. This is their chance to get an alpha and win the East in 2026.
The Heat would still have to re-sign Davion Mitchell and build their depth in free agency. With Jayson Tatum sidelined for potentially the entire 2025-26 season, the conference is wide open. Durant, Bam, and Herro would arguably be the best Big 3, but would Miami have the depth to defeat Indiana, Cleveland, and New York? They would be in the conversation, which they are not right now.
The Miami Heat would love to get Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they do not have the assets. They are in the market for Kevin Durant. Getting the all-time great is their shot to contend next season. It is worth selling the farm to make it happen, but will Pat Riley do it? Only time will tell, but his track record suggests fans should keep a close eye on this developing story. KD may be in South Beach before the 2025-26 season gets underway.