There are several teams that have discussed the possibility of trading for Kevin Durant, but there is one that may be trying a bit harder than the rest to land the two-time NBA Finals MVP.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Monday’s edition of “Get Up” that the Miami Heat remain “very motivated” to find a way to acquire Durant. One of the reasons negotiations have been complicated is that Bam Adebayo and Ben Simmons cannot be on the same team. NBA rules prohibit teams from having two players on their roster who are playing under Designated Rookie contracts.
“(The Nets have) got to get value for him and they’ve got to get significant value for him. The trade scenarios out there are still complex,” Wojnarowski said. “Miami is a very motivated team, but Bam Adebayo and Ben Simmons can’t be on a team together based on their contracts. There would have to be a lot of third and fourth team involvement.”
The Phoenix Suns also remain interested, but they can no longer trade Deandre Ayton until midway through next season after matching the offer sheet the Indiana Pacers signed him to. You can hear more from Woj below:
"The Nets are still trying to find a deal for Kevin Durant."
—@wojespn pic.twitter.com/HjdpkIlIsh
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 18, 2022
Miami has made Durant a priority, but they need to find a way to satisfy the Nets’ demands. That will be no easy task.
If the Heat can’t work something out with the Nets, they may turn their attention toward Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell. Though, there would be some obstacles in a trade like that, too.
