The Miami Heat lack star power. Erik Spoelstra is now bereft of true All-Star quality following Jimmy Butler’s bitter departure. Pat Riley is expected to remain active throughout the summer.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, one way to rapidly put the Heat back on the map would be to trade for Kevin Durant. Pelton detailed a hypothetical package that could entice the future Hall of Famer to South Beach. The agreement would look like this:
Heat Get: Kevin Durant.
Suns acquire Andrew Wiggins, either Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic, and draft picks.
“In that case, the Heat might not expect to add anyone better in 2026 than Kevin Durant,” Pelton told me. “If so, they should look to speed up the process — and avoid Durant being traded from Phoenix to a situation where he too would extend his contract — by acquiring him this summer.”
Pelton proceeded.
“If Miami could find a taker for Duncan Robinson, whose $19.9 million salary would have to be fully guaranteed for matching purposes, a package built around Wiggins and either Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic, plus draft picks, would save Phoenix about $20 million in 2025-26 salary.”
Adding Durant would immediately give Miami enough offensive firepower to compete in the Eastern Conference. Riley, however, would need to improve the supporting cast. Spoelstra’s squad requires depth to emerge as real contenders in the East.
Heat’s roster is relieved at trading Butler.
According to Dan Le Batard, several Heat players were glad that Butler was finally dealt. The All-Star forward was traded to the Golden State Warriors before the February 6 trade deadline.
“The relief in that building that Jimmy Butler is gone, not just because of what’s happened over the last couple months, but because of how things were bent to him,” Le Batard stated on his show ‘The Dan Le Batard Show’ on March 6. “If you talk to enough Heat individuals, you’ll see that they thought they were dealing with something. And they weren’t saying anything publicly about the unstable chemical they utilized as a furnace and fuel to win the tournament. When it came to money concerns, no one wanted to go to work.”
Butler has struck the ground running in Golden State. Nonetheless, Miami’s roster is likely to feel as if it has improved through addition by removal. Still, it’s evident that another high-level star is required within the rotation.
Jimmy Butler is reportedly happy with the Warriors.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler is excited to be a member of the Warriors and believes it is the best company he has ever worked for.
“I’m telling you, it’s different this time,” Charania stated on NBA Countdown. “I haven’t experienced the same emotion he had when he moved to Philadelphia or Miami. This is different for Jimmy Butler’s move to Golden State. He’s staying late for shootaround and practices, and he’s spending a lot of time in the training and lunch rooms.”
If Miami can trade Wiggins for Durant, both teams will have boosted their chances in the Butler trade. However, landing an All-Star forward is never easy. Miami will have to work hard to persuade the Phoenix Suns to enter into negotiations.
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