Jim McIsaac/2021 Jim McIsaac
The Miami Heat are second-to-none in their talent-acquisition ambition, so they would have belonged near the top of a Durant landing-spot list even if KD hadn’t slotted them among his preferred destinations, as B/R’s Jake Fischer reported he did.
As will be the case with every team we cover, it doesn’t make sense to burn many calories explaining how or why Durant fits on the Heat. KD has won titles and collected an MVP while working alongside a diverse cast of superstars throughout his career.
He’s arguably the purest scorer who’s ever played, and the damage he can do to a defense on or off the ball will follow him wherever he goes. He’s a transcendent talent with maximum scalability.
You cannot find a team on which his game would get in the way of someone else’s or where his contributions would be duplicative. The guy fits everywhere, and he elevates everyone. All we really need to know is whether the acquiring team, typically a contender looking to get over the hump, has what it takes to make a competitive offer.
So, back to the Heat side.
If Durant has any say, he’d probably prefer Jimmy Butler not be involved in the package. The point of going to Miami would be to team up with another superstar in pursuit of a title, which would seem to take Butler off the board.
Bam Adebayo cannot be acquired by the Nets unless Ben Simmons leaves the roster first because of a rule that prevents teams from having more than one player on a designated rookie max contract acquired via trade.
Everything should be on the table in Brooklyn, so we shouldn’t rule out a Simmons trade clearing the way for Adebayo to be the centerpiece of a Durant deal, but that construction is impossible at the moment.
The best Miami can do without expanding this into three-team territory looks something like this: Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, rookie Nikola Jovic, three first-round picks (2023, 2027 and 2029) and three swaps.
Few teams would be better equipped to fill in the backcourt gaps created by Lowry and Herro’s exit than the Heat, who could do so through free agency. Players would flock to Miami, already among the league’s most desirable destinations, to join a core that included Durant, Butler and Adebayo.
Miami’s need for improved half-court offense would disappear with Durant in the fold, making last year’s No. 1 seed in the East an even more serious threat to win a ring.
Trade Idea: Brooklyn Nets receive Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, rookie Nikola Jovic, three first-round picks (2023, 2027 and 2029) and three first-round pick swaps for Kevin Durant.