Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles during the first half against the Houston Rockets at Barclays Center on April 05, 2022.
After a month of the Miami Heat‘s aggressive pursuit to land Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant, momentum has come to an abrupt halt. The Nets’ insanely high asking price has seemingly made it impossible for the Heat to trade for the 12-time All-Star, but that can change based on how much Miami is willing to give up.
An Eastern Conference executive spoke to Heavy Sports’ NBA Insider Sean Deveney about the current stalemate and suggested that if Miami includes All-Center Bam Adebayo in their trade package, Durant will be making his way to South Beach.
The exec said, “If the package is Bam and some of their bench pieces and three picks, the Nets might not do better than that.”
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“The Nets have gotten them to the point they were trying to get them to, which is, ‘OK, do we include Bam in one of these packages?’ The young players, Tyler Herro, the picks they have, that is not going to get Durant,” the exec continued. “Adebayo will.”
“When the stuff came out about Jaylen Brown, that was aimed at a team like Miami, letting them know they’ve got to add Bam, letting Phoenix know they’ve got to add (Devin) Booker. From the Heat’s point of view, it’s Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, and Kyle Lowry, it’s only a two-year window but they can win it all. What the Heat have now, they can’t win it all. It’s like, trade Bam or bust at this point.”
Including the Kentucky alum in a trade package would take some maneuvers on Brooklyn’s part, as well. In order to acquire the 25-year-old center, the Nets would have to be willing to trade Ben Simmons to facilitate the blockbuster trade, as the Designated Rookie Extension rule prohibits teams from acquiring two players via trade signed to that type of contract.
The Heat Is ‘Disinclined’ to Trade Adebayo for Durant
GettyBig man Bam Adebayo defends Kevin Durant during a game between the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets.
With the Nets playing hardball, Miami seems to have drawn a line in the sand when it comes to how far they will gut the team to land the two-time Finals MVP, and have put the opportunity on ice until Nets general manager Sean Marks shows some wiggle room in the asking price.
The Heat is “disinclined” to part ways with Adebayo as previously reported by Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang, so “while the team remains interested in Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets have displayed little interest in the Heat’s offer for the high-scoring superstar and Miami is moving ahead with its current roster for next season, according to sources briefed on the situation.”
However, it seems Miami is playing a little hardball, too. After the Miami Herald’s report was released, Hot Hot Hoops’ analyst Naveen Ganglani tweeted, “I don’t buy that the current Heat roster is what they plan to go with, esp with Duncan Robinson’s contract there. Maybe it’s a message to other teams they’re not desperate to make a trade, which they shouldn’t be. There will be chances to make other deals. Patience is key.”
Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman shared a similar sentiment on July 27, as there’s still plenty of time for negotiations to continue. “Liking your roster doesn’t mean you are done,” Winderman wrote. “And that, especially at this time of year, with two months remaining before the start of training camp, is a significant delineation.”
Adebayo Spoke Out About Possibly Getting Traded for Durant
GettyA new report reveals how the Miami Heat is dealing with Bam Adebayo (L) amid their pursuit for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant (R).
Adebayo broke his silence on the ongoing Durant trade rumors during an appearance at the Heat’s youth basketball clinic at the Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday, July 21, as a kid bravely asked him about the possibility of him suiting up with another team this season, as reported by Winderman.
“It is what it is, control what you can control,” Adebayo said. “Obviously it’s an opportunity for something, but in my opinion, control what you can control. I can’t control that. So do what I’ve been doing. I get up early. I work out. Having fun with these kids. And I’m going to go home and go to sleep.”
In response to those saying the Heat won’t be competitive without making a blockbuster move this summer, Adebayo shut that narrative down. “They’re always counting us out. We The Kennel for a reason, the underdog. That’s our chip. You can believe what you want, you can say what you want.”
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