The Miami Heat seem to be as close to all-in as they could be for Kevin Durant, but after the blockbuster trade centered around Desmond Bane, a nightmarish scenario could be arising for the team. It may not be a certainty, but the asking price for KD could be on the rise after the monster return the Memphis Grizzlies got for Bane.
In exchange for Bane, the Grizzlies received Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks, and an additional pick swap from the Orlando Magic. That's an enormous move that will naturally have huge implications across the rest of the league heading into the start of what many are anticipating to be a chaotic offseason.
It could initially start with the teams pursuing KD. Whether this will actually be the case remains to be seen. Theoretically, the asking price from the Suns may have risen after what transpired Sunday morning between the Grizzlies and Magic.
The Heat's pursuit of KD may not have shifted much
On the other hand, ESPN's Brian Windhorst suggests that the Bane trade won't have much impact on KD's situation. Teams like the Heat, who are pursuing KD, in the eyes of Wiindy, may not have to worry all that much about what the Grizzlies did.
Nevertheless, it's certainly another layer of context that could end up complicating their trade talks with the Suns. And, remember this: The Suns don't have to trade KD if they don't want to. He still has one year left on his contract and can't imagine he's the type of player that would hold out.
Phoenix could theoretically wait until a better offer comes across the table. I don't think the Suns want the KD situation to get that messy, but it's certainly a scenario that could end up playing out.
The Heat, along with many other teams, are waiting for the KD domino to fall. Interestingly enough, the Magic didn't wait to make their big move. This could be the trade that wakes up the rest of the league. For Miami, the hope is that they can still move forward with the status quo when it comes to their current situation and standing with the Suns and KD.
The Heat have to hope that this Bane trade won't directly impact their pursuit of KD, but at this point, it may be too early to tell if it would.