Miami Heat Emerge as ‘Most Realistic’ to add 7x All-Star

Getty Miami Heat president Pat Riley

Kyrie Irving rumors have been circling nearly non-stop since the day of the NBA Draft. Some of the latest comes from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on the June 24 episode of NBA TODAY. The reports come after Wojnarowski’s original reports that included the six teams that the Brooklyn Nets point guard would be interested in joining amid negotiation rumors. Among the teams, Irving was interested in was the Miami Heat. But before he goes anywhere, Irving will need to wrap up or decline negotiations with the Nets. A process that Wojnarowski cites as growing ‘Acrimonious.’ 

“Listen, people try to gain leverage. If you’re Kyrie Irving, you’re trying to go get the Nets to give you a longer-term deal with more guaranteed money than they want to give. The Nets are trying to go in the other direction—shorter deal, incentivized because he just hasn’t been on the floor as much as they’d like the couple of years.

“This is getting acrimonious, and I think that’s the concern when you look at not just Kyrie Irving’s future in Brooklyn, but Kevin Durant’s future and whether they can hold this thing together right now,” said Wojnarowski. 

Heat Most Realistic Landing Spot for Kyrie Irving

If the contract talks between Irving and the Nets continue to crumble, the Heat have been named the most realistic landing spot to land the seven-time NBA All-Star. Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote about why the Heat are the most realistic and what it might take to acquire the point guard. 

“If he’s healthy and engaged (big ifs, to be sure), he’s the kind of talent who can lift you to a championship-caliber offense, which is why the Miami Heat should perk up at the thought of Kyrie being available,” Bailey wrote. 

Also important to note on the Heat being a realistic landing spot is Irving’s friendship with Jimmy Butler. Recently, a clip of Butler on ESPN’s First Take naming Irving as a player he most wants to play with in 2017 resurfaced. Perhaps this is the year that the two could join forces. 

Marc Stein also reported that the Heat could be a team to bring in the star due to the pieces that they have to throw into an Irving trade. 

“Miami is believed to have some level of interest in joining the chase for Irving — should the Nets reach the point of actively trying to trade him — and would figure to be a more legitimate landing spot than the teams initially mentioned, given the Heat’s various trade assets. While it certainly ranks as another strain on the imagination to try to picture Irving finding daily comfort in Pat Riley’s rigid South Beach operation, it’s likewise true that the heat have never shied away from the starriest of stars or personalities painted as challenging.” Stein wrote on his substack.

The deal that Bailey cited in his article that it could take to trade for Irving included; Kyrie Irving for Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, a 2023 first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick. 

Heat Also Linked to Kevin Durant

While Kyrie Irving possibly going to the Heat is exciting, it isn’t the only Nets trade the Heat have been linked to. Kevin Durant has also been a name that the Heat could make a move for. 

On June 24, Zach Lowe reported that teams are preparing for the “contingency Kevin Durant is available via trade in six days or seven days.”

That reporting followed what was said by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst earlier in the day that Kevin Durant could be the ‘godfather move‘ that Pat Riley and the Heat are waiting to pull off.