One young prospect could ultimately decide where Kevin Durant ends up this offseason.
The trade buzz surrounding Durant is hitting a crescendo as the NBA season nears its end. A good chunk of the league has been linked to the Phoenix Suns star, who is in the final year of his current deal.
The Miami Heat are said to be among the three teams with whom Durant would sign an extension. One Heat player could be the key to KD moving to South Beach.
According to NBA reporter Jake Fischer, the Heat’s “willingness to surrender” young center Kel’el Ware is considered the potential “swing factor” in the bidding war for Durant. The move would fill the Suns’ gaping hole at the center spot, which the team has struggled to fill ever since Phoenix shipped away Deandre Ayton.
The Heat selected Ware with the 15th overall pick in last year’s draft. The Indiana product played sparingly over the first few months of the regular season, falling out of head coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation entirely in early December.
Ware started making waves at the turn of the calendar year. He became a full-time starter in late January, often sharing the floor with undersized center Bam Adebayo. The 7-foot center showed tremendous potential as a rim protector and interior finisher.
The 21-year-old averaged 10.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 26 games after the All-Star break. His late-season improvement earned him All-Rookie 2nd Team honors.
Ware may not be within the same stratosphere as Durant as a player, but the Suns do not have much leverage given Durant’s age and contract situation.
The Heat do not have as many young pieces to offer compared to teams linked to Durant like the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. But if those other teams refuse to give up a true asset better than Ware, then KD could be bound for Miami.
