The Miami Heat have been among the teams most frequently linked to Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant recently, and it seems like the man who patrols the sidelines for Miami may be a big reason why.
According to a report, it’s looking more and more like Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is the one who wants to see his squad land the 15-time All-Star.
“I’m not surprised by this… but the more people I talk to, the more it seems to be Spoelstra who wants this deal,” wrote Ethan J. Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports via Discord.
Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean Spoelstra is the only one in the Heat organization who wants to land Durant. However, the fact that he appears to be high on the four-time scoring champion certainly says something.
Spoelstra and Durant have a little bit of history, having been on the same side at events like the Olympics and NBA All-Star Game. Now, there’s a possibility for them to end up chasing an NBA title together.
But getting that opportunity isn’t going to be easy, as there seems to be competition for Durant’s services. So far, the Suns haven’t gotten an offer they’ve liked enough to accept from any team, and it remains to be seen just how aggressive Miami is willing to get in order to acquire the veteran.
Durant is coming off a season in which he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 43.0 percent from long range. He will turn 37 in September but still seems to have enough left in the tank.
What makes the situation tricky for the Heat is that Durant, due to his age, can only be seen as a win-now piece, not as a long-term piece for the future. So, Miami has to ask itself if it feels like now is the appropriate time to liquidate some assets and give its core a win-now piece to work with, even if it wouldn’t make the team the favorite in the Eastern Conference.
The Durant situation appears to be a very fluid one in the NBA. At some point, fans will learn where the future Hall of Famer will spend the 2025-26 season.