As Pat Riley’s end of season press conference concluded on Friday, the Miami Heat president provided some much needed clarity on where his team stands heading into the offseason. Serious change may be coming to the Heat’s roster in the very near future.
It’s no secret that there needs to be upgrades made across the entire rotation. Miami lacks the necessary talent needed to be competitive with the best of the Eastern Conference, as the Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro duo desperately needs help.
That void was once filled by Jimmy Butler, but now it’s time to put this tumultuous season in the past and move forward.
Luckily, the Heat may be well positioned to take a major swing on the trade market this summer. They have some intriguing young prospects, expiring salaries and up to three tradeable first-round draft picks to pull off a significant acquisition.
One of the most obvious names expected to shake free on the trade market will be Kevin Durant.
The experiment with the Phoenix Suns has not worked, and came to a disappointing ending this season after failing to even secure a play-in spot in the West. There has been mutual interest between Durant and the Heat for years, with Riley throwing some subtle hints at being open to pursuing the 15-time All-Star once again.
When asked specifically if he was open to managing another aging star again, Pat Riley seemed on board if it was the right fit.
“For us, if that player is the right name and the right contract length, yeah, I still think that an aging player can play (with us),” Riley said.
“It's incredible that you know players like (LeBron James) and others that have played into their mid to late 30s, and produced at a high level and helped teams win championships. And you have to pick out the right one. But I'm not against that.”
Regardless of how unattractive the idea seems in hindsight, the Heat have a history of managing those aging stars. Jimmy Butler is the most recent example of that, but most notably goes back even further to Dwyane Wade’s latter years and Shaquille O’Neal.
However, the major difference is the on-court abilities of each player at the time. Durant has yet to show any signs of a decline, even during his age-36 season.
The future Hall of Famer is still playing at an All-NBA level. And during his last two seasons with the Suns, he has been relatively healthy even with higher usage still.
As Riley noted in his presser, Durant’s current contract also aligns with the Heat from a financial aspect. He is in the final year of a near $55 million salary for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign, providing flexibility for the Heat if things don’t work out.
Miami could be the first team since Durant’s Golden State Warriors run to give the superstar some much needed organizational stability. From the well respected front office, to the culture and playing under arguably the greatest head coach in the league in coach Erik Spoelstra, an overdue pairing could benefit both sides at this stage.
Only time will tell if Riley can pull it off, but circling back on another KD pursuit is right in his wheelhouse.