Could Heat Retool with Trade for Kevin Durant?

PHOENIX — The Miami Heat clearly need to make some moves this offseason after being swept in the first round of the 2025 playoffs and losing by 55 points in Game 4 to the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

Miami never really stood a chance against the Cavs, who had a historic season, getting into the playoffs after winning two play-in games as the 10 seed in the East.

However, it is now abundantly clear that Miami is going to have to shakeup its roster after already trading away Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline.

Miami has also been involved in trade rumors surrounding Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant ever since it was leaked that Phoenix was trying to trade Durant at the trade deadline.

Could the Heat try to make a huge splash by acquiring Durant this offseason?

They certainly have some young pieces and good fits for Phoenix to entice the Suns, but it’s also important to note that Durant has a lot of say in any potential trade, as he only has one year left on his contract and can pick and choose which teams he’d sign an extension with.

This was one of the latest trade ideas by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz for Miami to get Durant:

• Miami Heat Receive: F Kevin Durant

• Phoenix Suns Receive: F/C Kel’el Ware, F Duncan Robinson, G Terry Rozier, 2025 first-round pick (via Golden State Warriors), 2030 first-round pick (top-five protected via Miami Heat)

This is an interesting package, but any trade Miami would offer would likely have to center around Andrew Wiggins. It would also likely have to involve at least one or two of their young players, which include Ware, Jaime Jacquez Jr., Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson, as well as draft capital for the Suns to be interested.

If so, this could certainly be one of the best packages Phoenix is offered and would allow the Heat to keep their core of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro alongside Durant.

However, the Heat clearly don’t seem one piece away from winning a championship, as is evidenced by their playoff performance, which could hurt the chances that Durant would want to go there.

The Verdict on the Miami Heat

The Suns could push hard for Durant to accept a trade to Miami if they really like an offer, and the Heat will likely be one of the last teams in the running for him.

It’s hard to see the 36-year-old Durant wanting to enter the situation that the Heat find themselves in, but Miami is really one of the teams that could truly put together one of the most compelling offers for Durant depending on how his market shapes out based on how the rest of the teams feel after the playoffs.

Expect the Heat to be firmly in the fold for Durant, but it’s up to the superstar forward if he truly wants to go there or not.

Click here to read if the Memphis Grizzlies, the only other eliminated team so far, could be a player in the Durant trade market.