Dan Le Batard Believes Heat Will Try To Acquire Kevin Durant From Suns

Dan Le Batard, who is very connected with Florida teams, believes the Miami Heat will try to acquire NBA legend Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. 

The Heat tried to acquire Durant from the Brooklyn Nets in 2022-23, but the Nets traded the NBA icon to the Suns. 

“Pat Riley doesn’t have any reason in the world to still be working at his age approaching 80. He’s not going to wait around for another young team to ferment…I have assumed that the next play is going to be…trying to get (Kevin) Durant again. I’ve assumed that’s the move… pic.twitter.com/FrIoH6DC2K

— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) July 18, 2024

The Heat lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in five games. All-Star Jimmy Butler missed the entire series with a knee injury. 

Phoenix went 49-33 in 2023-24 but was swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.  

Durant averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks in 2023-24. The two-time NBA champion will make $49.9 million next season.

The Suns fired Frank Vogel after one season and hired Mike Budenholzer, who won the 2021 title with the Milwaukee Bucks against the Suns. 

Phoenix enters the offseason with $209 million in salary, the biggest payroll of any NBA team, and faces a projected luxury tax penalty of $116 million.

According to NBA reporters Shams Charania and Doug Haller of The Athletic, Durant never felt comfortable with his role in the Suns’ offense in 2023-24. 

“Meanwhile, Durant, among the best scorers in NBA history, was not always happy with how he was used,” Charania and Haller wrote. “Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season. Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often and not having the proper designs to play to his strengths as the offense was built around pick-and-rolls.

“At the same time, some teammates and people close to the organization believed Durant needed to voice his concerns more adamantly and directly with Vogel and his coaching staff.”

According to NBA front office insider Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Heat aggressively tried to acquire DeMar DeRozan. However, no team wanted Duncan Robinson and his massive contract. The guard will make $19.4 million next season. 

DeRozan joined the Sacramento Kings via a three-team sign-and-trade deal involving the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs.