As the dust continues to settle on probably the wildest trade deadline in NBA history, details about how all these huge deals did, or did not, get done are rapidly emerging.
No, this isn’t about how or why the Dallas Mavericks hand delivered Luka Doncic to the Lakers. You have heard enough about that, and you’ll surely be hearing a lot more.
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This is about what would’ve been the second craziest swap of this deadline: Jimmy Butler for Kevin Durant, who, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne, signed off on a trade to the Heat, who were in turn unwilling to “mortgage their future” by paying the steep price Phoenix sought.
From ESPN:
Durant would have been open to playing for the Heat, sources said, so Miami debated cutting the Warriors out [of a separate three-team deal that was also being discussed] and dealing Butler to Phoenix for Durant, sources said.
Riley, after all, had wanted Durant for years. In 2016, Riley landed one of the famous meetings in the Hamptons where Durant took pitches from various teams and the Warriors closed by getting Curry to sell Durant on a partnership. Riley had tried again in 2019 when Durant left Golden State for the Brooklyn Nets, but Riley pulled off a shrewd sign-and-trade for Butler that summer instead.
It was there to be done, Durant to Miami, and the teams traded proposals, sources said. But Phoenix, which paid for Durant in 2023 with four first-round picks and three pick swaps to Brooklyn, was seeking significant compensation for the player, who is now 36 and under contract for just one more season.
Ultimately, the Heat felt they would be mortgaging their future by going down the path with Durant, sources said, and they didn’t move forward in the talks. The third attempt to land Durant would not be the charm for Riley and Heat.
Why Durant was cool with going to Miami but not the Warriors, who also reportedly had a deal in place to bring him back to the Bay Area until Durant nixed it, has been a matter of much speculation. But ultimately, you can understand his reluctance, given all the criticism he took for going there the first time around and how things ended with Draymond Green.
The perception would’ve been different this time. In 2016, it was all about Durant, who had just lost to the Warriors in the conference finals, needing Curry. This time, it was all about Curry needing him. Desperately. He could’ve been a savior of sorts, and seemingly would’ve had a better shot at a third championship with the Warriors than the Heat.
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The fact that Durant was ready to sign off a deal to Miami probably speaks to his continued motivation to prove he can win a championship outside the Curry ecosystem, but these guys are human. Regular stuff like the fact that he likes living in Arizona, and maybe would’ve enjoyed living in Miami, more than he did during the Bay Area. Or he’s just at a different point in his life and career? It’s plenty understandable.
The real question is: Should Miami have done it? Who knows what the final bill of a Durant trade would’ve looked like, but it surely would’ve been steep. Durant with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Erik Spoelstra is certainly a formidable package, but Durant is 36 and is on the books for just under $55 million next season.
Would the Heat, then, have been almost obligated to sign him beyond 2026, potentially into his 40s, just to justify all they had to give up to get him? These are tough questions, and it appears the Heat just weren’t ready to have to answer them.
It was probably the smart move. As tempting as I’m sure it was to trade for Durant, who is still one of the best players in the world, bar none, the Heat probably still would’ve been short of true title contention, although we’ve all made the mistake of shortchanging their playoff potential before. Butler was always the one who lifted them above their means. It’s not impossible that Durant could’ve done the same.
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