The Miami Heat are putting their name in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
Speaking on his show, Dan Le Batard revealed some of the latest intel involving the Miami Heat. Apparently, there are rumors that Heat President Pat Riley has an interest in reviving his team’s pursuit of Kevin Durant.
“I do not believe that by the trade deadline of this upcoming year, the Heat will be there saying, ‘Oh yeah we still think we’re as good as the 76ers.’ Pat Riley doesn’t have any reason in the world to still be working at his age approaching 80. He’s not going to wait around for another young team to ferment. The things they have done with young people are things Pat Riley has never done in his career. The next play will be an assortment of pieces that gets one-year max Jimmy Butler and then he’s gonna try to get Kevin Durant again. I’ve assumed that’s the move they are gonna try and get in play for.”
The Miami Heat have always been a rather ambitious franchise. Dating back to the days of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, they’ve been a hub of star power in the East and a team that has consistently found ways to win even when the odds are stacked against them.
This current regime includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and sharpshooter Tyler Herro. And while they do have two runs to the Finals under their belt, the Heat have failed to capture a title since the days of LeBron James back in 2013. This past season, the Heat endured one of their worst seasons in recent history and only managed to finish 8th in the East with a 46-36 record. They lost in the first round in five games to the eventual NBA champions.
This summer, the Heat were believed to have big plans to upgrade the roster with additions like Klay Thompson, Paul George, or DeMar DeRozan. Instead, they lost one of their key role-players: Caleb Martin, who signed a four-year deal worth $35 million with the 76ers.
By all accounts, the Heat took another step back in the East and for a team that was already teetering on the edge of the playoff picture, that is not the way they wanted to go. With the peak offseason pretty much over now, many are concerned about the Heat’s lack of activity and are actively questioning if Riley is the best man to lead this franchise. At almost 80 years old, he’s not nearly as young or spry as he used. otbe.
Even so, things could change on a dime if they somehow sign Kevin Durant. While Suns governor Mat Ishbia has made it clear that he has no intention to part with Durant for now, the Heat have long been connected to the 2x champion.
If things go wrong with the Suns, and either Durant or the team feels like a reset, the Heat will be among the first teams ready to make a call and they could become a leading force in the East if they can pair him with veteran swingman Jimmy Butler.
With so few assets to trade, the Heat may not even have enough for Durant but you can bet that they’ll try if they have an opportunity to lure him away from the Suns. The Heat have always been a team with big ambitions and even when they are struggling to keep their own players, they seemingly always have a plan to make progress for the future.