Shams Details Heat's Pursuit of Kevin Durant Trade Before Rockets Deal
The Miami Heat had the option to try to trade for Kevin Durant while keeping Kel'el Ware, ESPN's Shams Charania said on Monday's episode of the Pat McAfee Show.
The Heat would have had to package Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick of the 2025 draft and a pick swap together in order to trade for Durant without involving Ware, according to Charania.
The Heat discussed multiple potential deals involving two to three of those pieces, but were unwilling to inclde them all in the same package, Charania reported.
Durant was ultimately traded to the Houston Rockets on Sunday in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick of the 2025 draft and five second-round picks.
Charania described the stretch between Friday and the Sunday trade as a back-and-forth negotiation between the Suns and both the Heat and Rockets.
Throughout those conversations, however, Charania said there was never any question the Heat would consider trading Ware after his rookie season.
"Essentially, he was left off the table in any conversation. That was a non-starter for them," Charania said.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in the week leading up to the Durant trade that the Heat's willingness to trade Ware "could be the true swing factor in Miami’s KD pursuit" given the Suns' need for a center next season.
Fischer and Marc Stein then reported last Friday that the Heat were "said to be firmly against" including Ware in a trade.
The Athletic's Kelly Iko and Sam Amick reported that the Rockets similarly refused to include young players like Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason, but that the Suns were ultimately swayed by Houston offering the No. 10 pick.
The Suns "saw the selection as someone who could step in and contribute right away," Iko and Amick wrote.
Charania also added that the Suns liked that the Rockets' package included "two starters" in Green and Brooks.
The Suns will now hope they are able to use the incoming draft capital to rebuild without Durant, while the Heat will hope players like Ware and Jović are able to grow into game-changers as they continue playing on their rookie deals in Miami.
