Kevin Durant’s future with the Phoenix Suns remains uncertain, with an exit in the offseason still very much on the cards. A fair few teams are expected to be interested in Durant, and NBA insider Marc Stein reports that the Miami Heat are forecasted to be one of them.
“The Heat are frequently forecasted as a team, along with Minnesota, expected to show trade interest this offseason in Phoenix’s Kevin Durant. What sort of clues Riley drops clues about his team-building approach in the wake of a 37-45 campaign and painful first-round playoff sweep inflicted by Cleveland will be of prime interest.”
The Heat made it to the NBA Finals in 2023, but they are nowhere near good enough to compete for a title anymore. After moving a disgruntled Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline, they finished the 2024-25 season with a 37-45 record.
The Heat became the first 10 seed to make it to the playoffs via the play-in tournament, but they wouldn’t go too far. The Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in historic fashion in the first round.
Changes seemed inevitable after a trashing like that, and Bam Adebayo hinted that he expected Heat president Pat Riley to make a lot of them. Later in his end-of-season press conference, Riley confirmed that the Heat’s strategy this offseason won’t be to run it back.
Getting a player like Durant would certainly help the Heat turn things around. While the Suns proved to be arguably the most disappointing team of the 2024-25 season, the 36-year-old still put up big numbers.
Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52.7% from the field and 43.0% from beyond the arc. His age wouldn’t be a concern to Riley as well, as he stated in that press conference that he isn’t against going after an aging star.
“I think if you take a look at the Warriors, with Draymond [Green] and Steph [Curry] and Jimmy, you got three 35, 36, 37-year-old guys,” Riley said. “… I think an aging great, great player who may not be able to carry a team, together they can rise to the occasion in the playoffs.
“Steph’s injury might hurt them a little bit, but I saw something very unique with that team,” Riley stated. “So, for us, yes, if that player is the right name and the contract is the right length, I still think that an aging player can play.
“Look at LeBron [James], look at these players,” Riley added. “It’s incredible that players, like LeBron and others, that have played into their mid to late thirties and produced at a high level can help teams win championships, and you have to pick out the right one. I’m not against adding that, no.”
Durant has not won a championship since leaving the Warriors, but you’d reckon he still fits the bill. The 15-time All-Star has more gas left in the tank than the 40-year-old LeBron James, too, and would be an interesting addition to the Heat. They are going to face competition, though, and you wouldn’t have them as the favorites in the Durant sweepstakes as of now from an assets standpoint.
