NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal Eyed by Heat If Kyle Lowry Isn't Dealt

There is reportedly a scenario where Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal could end up on the Miami Heat for the 2023-24 season.

"I have been told that if the Heat do not move Kyle Lowry at Thursday's NBA trading deadline that the Heat very much will return to the mindset of an offseason run at Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal, should either express a desire to move on," Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wrote.

Miami has been an annual contender of late and reached the NBA Finals in 2020 and the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

However, it hasn't quite had the star power to get over the top and lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Adding someone like Durant would change that equation, even if it cost the Heat several players and draft picks.

The idea of a Big Three featuring Durant, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo would be a daunting one for the rest of the Eastern Conference. So would a trio that included Beal instead of KD, and the ceiling would change for the franchise compared to other Eastern Conference contenders such as the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.

Yet this is a hypothetical scenario that assumes either Durant or Beal would want out of their current situations.

While the Nets trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks could alter the way Durant feels about the organization, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported the team's "main desire was to ensure their current team would be competitive around Kevin Durant."

That could happen with a talented supporting cast that includes Nic Claxton, Ben Simmons, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, among others.

As for Beal, he has played for the Washington Wizards his entire career and is under contract through the 2025-26 season with a player option for 2026-27. There have been times when he could have looked elsewhere and perhaps formally requested a trade, but that has yet to happen.

The Heat may be left dreaming of what could be if those two players don't look to leave their respective teams.