Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball in front of Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Paycom Center on February 7, 2026 in Oklahoma City. Joshua Gateley Getty Images
The Miami Herald’s Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions. If you weren’t able to ask this time, send your questions for future mailbags via X (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email them to achiang@miamiherald.com
Brandon: The Heat are probably regretting last offseason’s decision to pass on a trade for Kevin Durant right now. Why didn’t they want Durant again?
Anthony Chiang: I figured this is a good time to answer this one, considering the Heat faces Kevin Durant and the Rockets for the first time this season on Saturday at Kaseya Center. It’s not that the Heat didn’t want Durant. It’s more about the Heat not wanting to give up too much for Durant. The Heat was definitely interested in adding Durant last summer, but was only willing to go so far in the players and picks it included in its offer for the 37-year-old Durant at this stage of his career.
The Heat improved its initial offer for Durant and that offer received serious consideration, according to a source close to the situation. But in the end, the Phoenix Suns chose to take the Rockets’ offer over the Heat’s offer. Center Kel’el Ware was among the sticking points in the Heat’s negotiations with the Suns, according to a league source. The Heat was reluctant to include Ware in its offers for Durant and that roadblock in negotiations helped lead the Suns to picking the Rockets’ trade package.
Given what we’ve seen so far this season, should the Heat have been willing to trade the 21-year-old Ware as part of a package for Durant? After all, the Heat still hasn’t figured out how to effectively play Ware alongside starting center Bam Adebayo. That has relegated Ware to a backup center role, mostly playing only when Adebayo is on the bench. Ware played just 12 minutes in Thursday’s road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Ware’s second NBA season has included impressive flashes of his upside, but it’s also included growing pains. The Heat has been outscored by 2.2 points per 100 possessions with Ware on the court this season.
Meanwhile, Durant is averaging 26.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 40.2 percent on threes this season.
While the Heat (31-29) is in danger of needing to qualify for the playoffs through the play-in tournament for the fourth straight season as the current eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference, the Rockets are in third place in the Western Conference with a 37-21 record this season.
So at the surface, it looks like the Heat should regret its decision to not push harder for Durant.
But Ware is also 16 years younger than Durant and most consider him to have the most upside among the Heat’s young players as a 7-footer who can make threes and block shots. So it’s understandable why the Heat was reluctant to include Ware in any offer for Durant last summer.
However, if you think adding Durant would have made the Heat good enough to be an East contender this season, you probably think Miami’s front office made the wrong decision.
It’s an interesting “what if” question that we’ll never know the answer to.
Flouncy: My question is should the Heat be worried about Bam wanting to leave?
Anthony: Not at this point. Heat captain and starting center Bam Adebayo has made it clear multiple times that he wants to spend his entire career with the Heat. Plus, Adebayo signed a three-year, $161 million extension with the Heat that still hasn’t kicked in yet. The deal begins next season. In other words, Adebayo and the Heat remain invested in each other.
Is Adebayo frustrated about the possibility of having to be in the play-in tournament for the fourth straight year? Of course. Would you expect him to be happy about that?
The play-in is not where Adebayo expected to be after making it to two NBA Finals in his first five seasons. Adebayo wants more for himself and the Heat, and that much is clear.
“I don’t want to be in that [expletive] no more,” Adebayo said of the play-in tournament. “We’re better than being in the play-in for the last four years.”