Eastern Conference team 'forecasted' as Durant landing spot

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Eastern Conference team 'forecasted' as Kevin Durant landing spot

By Kevin McCormick | Last updated May 9, 2025 3:57 PM ET

Following another disappointing season for the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant has been dubbed a star likely on the move this summer. Still weeks away from the official start of the offseason, possible landing spots have already begun to surface.

In the later stages of his career, Durant remains a highly impactful player in the NBA. He appeared in 62 games for the Suns this year, averaging 26.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 4.2 APG in that time. Being on an expiring contract could make things tricky, but he can elevate a team with his offensive prowess.

In his latest news dump of NBA intel, insider Marc Stein touched on the potential KD sweepstakes this offseason. The Miami Heat is among the teams being considered for a landing spot.

"The Heat are frequently forecasted as a team, along with Minnesota, expected to show trade interest this offseason in Phoenix's Kevin Durant," Stein wrote. "What sort of clues [Heat president Pat] Riley drops clues about his team-building approach in the wake of a 37-45 campaign and painful first-round playoff sweep inflicted by Cleveland will be of prime interest."

Monster around-the-league NBA notebook co-written with @JakeLFischer just dropped ... with Monday's NBA Draft Lottery fast approaching: https://t.co/BVFcAF4X3r pic.twitter.com/mOr1WQACJw
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 9, 2025

The Heat snuck into the playoffs this season but were quickly eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers. They'll surely be big-game hunting this offseason following their blockbuster move at the deadline.

From a fit standpoint, Durant makes a lot of sense for the Heat. He can score with the best of them, giving Miami an enticing offensive duo of him and Herro. Pair that with another All-Star-level talent and one of Bam Adebayo's most versatile defenders, and the Heat could quickly re-enter the mix in the Eastern Conference.

Armed with young talent and multiple first-round picks, the Heat have the asset pool to get a deal done with Phoenix. Andrew Wiggins would likely be the focal point, giving Devin Booker a new running mate at the forward position.

With a pair of young stars just getting ready to enter their prime, the Heat could be the team Durant rides off into the sunset with, while being able to compete. Only time will tell if Riley has it in him to land another premier talent in South Beach.

Kevin McCormick

Kevin McCormick is a basketball writer for Yardbarker with years of experience in the journalism field. Based out of Philadelphia, he graduated from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management in 2019. Since then, Kevin has gone on to build a career in sports writing

More must-reads: