Kevin Durant
Out of all the options of a third star coming aboard to complement Butler and Adebayo, Kevin Durant would have surely been the biggest needle mover. Durant, a two-time NBA champion and former league MVP, is viewed as a certified Hall of Famer and one of the greatest scoring talents of all time. His entire offensive skill set and length defensively would’ve provided the Heat with the most pitch-perfect superstar acquisition to lead to a championship.
Miami had their chance in 2022 and even pivoted to the notion of a Durant acquisition as soon as Mitchell wound up with Cleveland.
Phoenix and Miami are among two of the teams that Kevin Durant has on his wish list, sources tell ESPN, but the Nets plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal. With four years on his contract, there's no shortage of teams willing to unload assets for Durant.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
The coveted star forward became available after submitting a trade request from the Brooklyn Nets. There were off the court issues there with former teammate Kyrie Irving, and injury issues with James Harden, that stunted the Nets big three from reaching their own potential. It was clear that Durant’s tenure in Brooklyn didn’t go as planned and he wanted out sooner rather than later.
Miami had a prime opportunity to pounce on this situation, but the lack of showing more aggressiveness to get a deal done along with Brooklyn trying to force Durant to stick around made any potential trade fall through. He would eventually be moved at the following trade deadline to the Phoenix Suns, and Miami questionably wasn’t even involved prior to that Suns deal unfolding.