Kevin Durant was only open to joining the Heat if traded from the Suns.
Suns star Kevin Durant made it very clear that he wanted to stay in Phoenix through the 2025 NBA trade deadline. But according to the latest intel, Durant was only been open to joining the Heat in ongoing trade talks this season.
“Durant, however, would have been open to playing for the Heat,” wrote ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne. “So Miami debated cutting the Warriors out completely and dealing Butler to Phoenix for Durant, sources said. Riley, after all, had wanted Durant for years.”
Durant, 36, remains one of the best players in the league even after 16 years. This season, through 39 games, he’s averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 52.4% shooting. He thought he was untouchable in trade talks but after the Luka Doncic deal it put everyone on notice that no star is safe.
This week, Kevin Durant was one of several big-name stars included in trade discussions ahead of the deadline. While Durant did not ask for a trade, he found himself at the center of rumors and even a potential pursuit by the Golden State Warriors. Rumors suggest that the Warriors nearly had a deal in place involving Andrew Wig or Jimmy Butler but it was Durant who shot it down at the last minute.
He had no interest in a reunion with the Warriors, but he was more than open to joining the Miami Heat. Despite the mess with Butler, the franchise has a prestigious reputation, and team President Pat Riley has a good relationship with Durant.
At 36 years old, Durant’s only focus is on playing basketball and he’s not into the dramatics that come with living in the spotlight. With the Heat, he could contribute to an organization dedicated to winning and work under Eirk Spoelstra to help maximize the twilight of his career.
We know that the Heat came close to trading for Durant this season, first with a three-team trade involving the Warriors and Suns. But the Heat also tried to cut the Warriors out completely before ultimately failing to secure a direct swap between Butler and Durant.
In the end, the Warriors didn’t want to trade for a star who didn’t want to be there and the Heat simply couldn’t commit to taking on Durant and resetting their entire timeline. After the Butler trade, the Heat are mostly young now and it’s probably best for them to move on with their new core.
With two years and $105 million left on his deal, Durant still has some time before he has to decide his next NBA destination. For now, however, it’s the Suns he’s content to play out the rest of his career with but maybe after that, he’ll take his talents to South Beach and follow in the footsteps of LeBron.