In a recent appearance on the ‘STUpodity’ podcast, NBA insider Shams Charania talked about all things Kevin Durant. In the aftermath of his pledge to return to the team, GMs and executives around the league expect the ball to get rolling on other signings and trades.
But Shams also spoke about the Heat and why they got surprisingly inactive in talks for one of the game’s top athletes.
“The last time, Stugotz, the Heat called the Nets was right around Summer League or even maybe even before that,” Charania said. “… They never really aggressively pursued a deal because I think at the end of the day, they knew they would have had to gut multiple players.”
Miami Heat President Pat Riley lives for taking big risks and swinging for the fences. A guy like Durant, no matter the price, was the chance for him to make his squad the favorites in the East.
But for Riley and other Heat executives, gutting the roster and giving up depth wasn’t worth it for Durant, who has turned his back on multiple different franchises already. He also wasn’t going to consider giving up either of his own two stars
“Without including Jimmy Butler or Adebayo, any Heat offer for Durant would need to be headlined by the 22-year-old Tyler Herro, who was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season,” wrote Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “Barring a change of heart, the expectation is Miami will not budge on its stance of keeping Adebayo and Butler off limits.”
So, it seems like the pursuit of Durant was only just out of obligation for Miami. When a player of his caliber is on the table, they have to a least consider the option of trading for him.
But even as ambitious as he is, Pat Riley isn’t one to make rash decisions, and he’s not one to give up on established and proven methods. Since the already had faith in what his squad can do, there’s only so much he’s willing to give up in order to change it.
