It’s safe to say that Durant is Pat Riley’s Moby Dick. Miami has twice failed to lure the star forward to Miami – the Heat were one of the few teams to meet with Durant when he was a free agent in 2016, and Miami was reportedly on his two-team list of preferred trade destinations during the 2022 offseason. But this summer may present Miami’s best opportunity to reel in Durant.
If there’s one thing Heat fans know about Riley, it’s that he never forgets his prior endeavors. Think Jimmy Butler, making it to Miami after years of being star-crossed lovers. Think Juwan Howard, finally becoming a Heatle over a decade after Miami’s initial failed pursuit. Riley always wants to get his guy.
That could happen again here. Could Riley’s third crack at obtaining Durant be the charm, or will he forever be the one that got away?
The Why:
To put it lightly, the Phoenix Suns are in cap hell. With $184 million tied up in just their starting five next season (including $150 million owed to their three stars alone – Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal), the team is very limited in what they’ll be able to do to improve on a disappointing 6 seed finish and first round playoff exit. There is no immediate light at the end of the tunnel, either; all five of those contracts have at least two years remaining, with an inflated price tag of $198 million combined in 2025.
The quickest and easiest way for Phoenix to clean up their books and avoid the restrictions posed by the salary cap’s punitive second apron would be to move one or several of those contracts. While it may be difficult for the team to trade its way into open cap space, they could at least look to move one of the contracts for multiple pieces in return that would make the team more well-rounded and less the top-heavy mess they have become.
The How:
By process of elimination, it would seem that Durant is the most likely to be made available this summer should the team decide to shake up its roster. Booker is the franchise’s cornerstone and isn’t going anywhere; and Phoenix would be hard-pressed to find any team willing to give up anything of value for Beal, who underperformed his exorbitant salary this season and holds a no trade clause, giving him immense power in any potential trade. The 35-year-old Durant would appear to be the easiest to move for value, especially while his trade value remains relatively high.
The biggest threat to Miami here could be the Oklahoma City Thunder, fresh off the 1 seed in the Western Conference. Not only is there a need for veteran leadership and additional scoring in OKC, but the team boasts a ton of open cap space and a treasure trove of draft picks that could outbid anyone. For Miami to have a shot here, Durant would likely have to signal his disinterest in reuniting with the team that drafted him – though we all know how much he loves joining top teams in the Western Conference.
Simplest potential trade package:
Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, 2024 first round pick, 2029 first round pick
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