Several teams, including the Miami Heat, were reportedly pursuing a Kevin Durant trade, but there could only be one winner. Now that the Houston Rockets have acquired Durant, more information is coming to light about the teams that tried to land the future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
One of the possible finalists for a Durant trade was the Heat, who were reportedly on the 15-time All-Star’s wish list of teams he’d like to be traded to. Yet, Durant didn’t land in South Beach, possibly because they weren’t willing to include a specific group of trade assets.
Specifically, ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania reports that the Heat did make several Durant trade offers, but they weren’t willing to include the likes of Jaime Jaquez Jr, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, or the 20th overall pick in the deal. First-round rookie big man Kel’el Ware was apparently off-limits after a strong debut season too.
“The Suns’ conversations focused on the Rockets and Heat in recent days, but both teams showed an unwillingness to part with young cornerstones such as Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard (Houston) and Kel’el Ware (Miami) in a Durant deal, sources said. The Heat made multiple offers for Durant but ultimately turned down the opportunity to place Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick and other draft assets in a deal, sources said.”
Shams Charania on Miami Heat’s Kevin Durant trade offer
The Suns didn’t get any of the Heat’s best trade chips, but they did manage to secure another high-level scorer in Jalen Green. They also added several future assets, including the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, plus five future second-round picks.
Related: Phoenix Suns looking to swing another blockbuster trade after moving Kevin Durant
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