Getty Head Coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat looks on against the Boston Celtics
We aren’t far into the 2022-23 NBA season, but it is never too early to begin trade rumor season for the association. The leaves are falling across the country, and some of the ideas that superstars will remain on their current teams are starting to fall as well. Nowhere is this more true than with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, who, after the recent drama with Kyrie Irving, has possibly led to the end of the Irving and Durant experience in Brooklyn.
With the writing on the wall after the recent events in Brooklyn, trade rumors for Durant are back in full swing. Heavy NBA Insider Sean Deveney spoke with a number of league executives to get an understanding of potential trade scenarios that there could be for Durant and by doing so got good insight about what a KD trade could look like for the Miami Heat.
Executive on Durant to Heat Possibilities
Deveney, in a recent column, shared some of the insights he gathered from another team executive. When discussing if the Denver Nuggets or Heat could reemerge in the Durant sweepstakes.
“At the core of any offer for Durant from Denver or Miami would have to be Michael Porter Jr. of the Nuggets and Bam Adebayo of the Heat. The Nets can’t do a deal involving either one as long as Ben Simmons is on the roster, because Simmons (like Adebayo and Porter) is on a rookie supermax contract, and a team can only have one such player at a time.
But if the Nets go into blow-it-up mode, they could find a new home for Simmons as a precursor to a Durant deal, though Simmons’ value is low because he has struggled in his eight games with the Nets. Durant getting traded at all is a longshot, but both Simmons and Durant heading out is an even longer shot,” the executive told Deveney.
The insights are similar to the storylines of the NBA offseason. Adebayo has to be the piece the Heat sends to Brooklyn, especially with Herro being untradeable until next season after his recent contract extension. In order for Adebayo to be traded, Ben Simmons would have to be part of the deal.
Potential Durant Trade Timeline
The executive made it clear that we shouldn’t expect a Durant trade anytime soon, and while the rumors are happening, the market isn’t incredibly active at the moment but may Heat up as more players become trade-eligible.
“There has not been a lot going on there for trade stuff,” one Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports. “It makes sense for them to wait until when more guys will be trade-eligible (on December 15 or January 15, depending on their contracts) and it’s too early to give up on your roster, anyway. If they’re going to do anything, they’re going to wait it out a little longer, just like everyone will,” the executive said.
After the slow start to the Heat’s season, could they look to add Durant as the deadline approaches? Would they be willing to take back Ben Simmons in the deal as it would require? They love Bam, would he be dealt? Only time will tell what comes for the Heat.