Ranking Heat's Top Trade Targets After 2025 NBA Playoff Loss
This was a rather loud NBA season for the Miami Heat, due in no small part to Jimmy Butler's prolonged exit and Tyler Herro's All-Star emergence.
Yet, it still reached a pretty quiet ending, as the Heat followed their two Play-In Tournament wins with a swift exit from the opening round of the playoffs.
So, now what? Is another superstar search in the cards as the franchise aims to maximize the window around Herro and three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo? Or might a more patient approach suit this typically win-right-now team a little better?
We'll examine either side of that coin while spotlighting and ranking the Heat's top three trade targets over the upcoming offseason.
3. Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons
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The guard spot feels like the most logical place for Miami to try upgrading this summer. Terry Rozier has been a massive disappointment, and Davion Mitchell has never shot the three-ball with a ton of volume or the most accuracy.
A star point guard would be the dream acquisition, but those are hard to find—and, no, we wouldn't recommend chasing Trae Young due to defensive concerns with slotting him alongside Herro—so the Heat might have to aim at an ascending player and hope their developmental staff can help maximize their potential.
Could Jaden Ivey be that player? He was clearly leveling-up before suffering a broken fibula in his left leg, averaging a career-high 17.6 points while also posting personal-best shooting rates from the field (46) and from three (40.9). Now, perhaps that's an argument for the Pistons to keep him, but maybe they won't want to cover the cost of his next contract since he doesn't have quite the off-ball utility you'd want for a Cade Cunningham co-star.
Ivey is, however, accustomed to playing with a more ball-dominant backcourt partner, so there should be enough touches to keep him and Herro happy. Ivey's blink-and-you'll-miss-him burst would enhance the Heat's transition attack, and he has enough tools to be more than a traffic cone on defense.
2. Donte DiVincenzo, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Theoretically, there shouldn't be a scenario in which Donte DiVincenzo becomes available this summer. In reality, though, there's a chance he could be the one who gets squeezed out by the Wolves needing to carefully watch their finances with free agency potentially awaiting all three of Nickeil Alexander-Walker (unrestricted), Naz Reid (player option) and Julius Randle (player option).
Should Minnesota put DiVincenzo on the trade block, Miami must make a phone call.
The 28-year-old is on the perfect timeline to pair with the Herro-Adebayo duo, and he'd supplement that core in a number of ways. DiVincenzo would scratch an itch for more volume three-point shooting, but he's also capable of providing secondary playmaking, a bit of off-the-dribble creativity and serviceable-or-better defense.
He wouldn't be a game-changing acquisition, obviously, but Miami's trade budget maybe doesn't stretch far enough to pursue one anyway. He is, however, someone who can star in his role, and if the Heat are closer to competing at a high level than they appear—having an offseason to get Andrew Wiggins more comfortable and continue the developmental processes of Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović could be a big deal—a perfectly-fitting support piece could have a profound impact.
1. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
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Apologies to all of the Giannis Antetokounmpo dreamers still basking under the South Florida sun, but that's not happening. Even if he demanded a deal away from the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami doesn't have the assets needed to win what should be an astronomic bidding war.
Kevin Durant, on the other hand, might land just inside of the Heat's price range, especially with the two reportedly sharing "mutual interest," per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Durant, who turns 37 in September, is older than the ideal trade target for this team, but the Heat wouldn't find a player more capable of unlocking their half-court offense. Despite the full-fledged disaster in Phoenix, the ultra-smooth scoring swingman still found his way to 26.6 points per night on 52.7/43/83.9 shooting.
The Heat would have a narrow window to strike with Durant still near his prime, but maybe that's all they would need to put together a prolonged playoff push. A Durant-Herro duo would be plenty potent on offense, while a Durant-Adebayo-Ware frontcourt could offer ample versatility, length and athleticism on defense.
