Heat make risky blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant
The Miami Heat are still in the hunt for a third star to pair with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro and have just enough to get a Durant trade done. Their proposed trade would send out Kel'el Ware, the 20th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Duncan Robinson, and Andrew Wiggins.
Moving on from Ware so soon would hurt but is likely the only way they can best an offer from the other teams in the mix for Kevin Durant. The good news with this potential offer for the Heat could still be that they'd be able to offload Rozier's expiring contract in another deal to further improve their roster and wouldn't be giving up a future first-round pick or one of their two stars in the trade.
That would be a big win, and if they are able to hold onto Davion Mitchell, then they could really have a strong starting lineup that included him, Herro, Durant, and Adebayo.
Whether that move would put them on the same level as the top of the Eastern Conference is a question mark. Be that as it may, it would certainly make them a far better team than they are now. Not to mention that the Boston Celtics will likely be far worse, potentially even the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers, giving the Heat a chance to contend.
Durant is a legit offensive weapon who can still consistently score 27 points per game and is also still good on the defensive end thanks to his length and mobility.
Would the Phoenix Suns agree to the Heat's trade?
It would definitely be a strong offer, with the Suns getting a little bit of everything from the hypothetical deal. They would get a sharpshooting rotation shooter in Robinson in the deal. Wiggins would give the Suns a stopgap starting small forward who, while a polarizing player, can still reliably shoot and defend.
Getting the 20th pick would net them a young player on a cost-controlled contract for the next four years. Combine that with the 29th pick, and they could add two long-term players to their roster. Lastly, they would be getting Ware, giving them an athletic young starting center who can emerge as a star.
Make no mistake, they wouldn't be a contender, or anything close to it. Be that as it may, the Suns would at least get two building blocks, an expiring contract, and a stopgap starter. That is not nothing from a deal for a 36—soon to be a 37 year old superstar.
If the Heat offered Ware, then the Suns would likely strongly consider shipping Durant to the Eastern Conference. If that is the only sticking point in a potential deal for Durant, then it seems clear that the Heat are reluctant to trade Ware for him in a potential blockbuster deal.
That is understandable, to be sure, but they wouldn't get Durant otherwise. It may be up to the Heat to decide whether they really want KD this summer.