Just when it seemed like the drama of the offseason surrounding the Brooklyn Nets was winding down a little, the whole saga blew up once again. Shams Charania reported on Monday that Kevin Durant had asked Nets owner Joe Tsai to choose between keeping him and keeping General Manager Sean Marks and Head Coach Steve Nash. The superstar reportedly claimed he had no faith in the direction the organization is going in.
This is a difficult position for Tsai to be in, but he quickly made his point of view clear, tweeting in support of the front office and the coach. That has fuelled renewed speculation about KD getting traded, with all his old suitors being mentioned once again. The Boston Celtics and their offer involving Jaylen Brown are looking mighty good now, but the Miami Heat also still likely retain an interest.
And while KD’s availability only seems to be increasing, the Heat doesn’t seem ready to pull the trigger on a trade that would see them give back one of their main stars. According to the Miami Herald, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo remain off limits in any potential trade.
“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.”
The Heat have previously kept Adebayo off-limits in potential trades for Donovan Mitchell as well; it’s clear the team values him highly. Their interest in creating a Big 3 with any of the stars they might acquire seems clear. Durant is forcing the Nets’ hand quite a bit with his demands, though, and perhaps the Florida franchise could land him without giving up their major assets after all.
