The Miami Heat were one of the teams strongly linked to Kevin Durant ahead of the NBA trade deadline, but a deal never materialized. Now, reports have surfaced explaining why Miami didn’t land the future Hall of Famer. According to Dan Le Batard, the Suns’ asking price was simply outrageous—they reportedly wanted Miami’s entire team in return for Durant.
“First of all, you should know that was not close. It was never close. There was nothing close there.
“The reason it wasn’t close was because of the Heat, not because of the Suns. And the ask, according to the people I’ve talked to, was our entire team. It wasn’t just one of these young players. It wasn’t Jaquez and Ware. They wanted our whole team.”
“And Ishbia isn’t going to trade Durant—he’s not going to trade Durant for pennies on the dollar. He’s not going to blindside Durant unless he was just sort of sniffing around on what’s the most he can get for Durant. I know the Miami Heat are interested in this.”
The Suns’ sky-high asking price makes sense when considering their situation. They are under .500 despite having a massive $230 million payroll, which will cost them over $100 million in luxury tax penalties.
Durant, their most expensive player, is still performing at an elite level, averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 52.8% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range. But, his production hasn’t translated into team success, and Phoenix has been exploring ways to reshape its roster.
That said, expecting the Heat to dismantle their entire squad was never realistic. Miami has been searching for another superstar to pair with Bam Adebayo after trading Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors before the deadline. The team was reportedly aggressive in its pursuit of Durant, but even they had to balk at the Suns’ demands but they could still go after him in the summer.
The Heat’s offensive struggles since the trade deadline suggest that adding a scorer of Durant’s caliber could have made a significant impact. They have averaged just 85.5 points per game in the two contests since the deadline, including an 86-point outing in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets and a dreadful 85-point performance against the Boston Celtics.
Tyler Herro, who has carried much of Miami’s scoring load this season, was absent in the Boston game and had an inefficient 15-point performance against Brooklyn. Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins—whom the Heat acquired as part of the Butler trade—had a rough debut, scoring just 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range.
While Durant could have been the answer to Miami’s offensive woes, the Suns’ reported demand for nearly the entire roster made it impossible to justify the trade. Miami has been known for being patient in making big moves, and while they were interested in Durant, they were unwilling to mortgage their entire future for a player approaching 36 years old.
Looking ahead, Miami will attempt to secure its first win since the trade deadline when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder who boast the best record in the NBA. Whether the Heat can bounce back or not, one thing is clear—the Suns’ unrealistic demands ensured that Durant wouldn’t be heading to Miami, at least for now.
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