Despite being linked to polarizing point guard Kyrie Irving after his trade request on Friday, the Miami Heat seemingly didn’t pursue him all too hard.
It appears as though they have their eyes set on Kevin Durant, a player they pursued in the summer.
“If the Heat doesn’t move [Kyle] Lowry this week, he could be used as salary cap ballast in any Heat attempt to trade for a star this summer,” wrote Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
“Miami, like much of the rest of the league, will pursue Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant again if he asks for a trade this summer.”
The Heat were linked to Durant this past offseason after the 13-time All-Star requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, but of course, no deal wound up taking place.
Durant later rescinded his trade request and has been fantastic for the Nets this season, registering 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while knocking down 55.9 percent of his shots from the field and 37.6 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The two-time champion seems to be getting better with age, and it’s incredible to see him playing at such a high level after dealing with a serious injury like the Achilles one he suffered back in 2019.
If Durant were to ask out of Brooklyn, it would be interesting to see what Miami would offer for him. Bam Adebayo is reportedly untouchable in trade talks, and it doesn’t seem like the Heat would be willing to part ways with Jimmy Butler.
Miami is reportedly open to moving Lowry, but one has to imagine that the Nets wouldn’t be too interested in taking him back as part of a deal. Tyler Herro is an interesting piece, but given the fact that he agreed to a long-term extension with the Heat before the regular season, he seems likely to stay in South Florida.
With Irving being dealt to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, all eyes are now on Durant. People are wondering whether or not he will ask out again. If he were to request another trade, teams would once again be lining up to try to acquire his services.
