Kevin Durant would have been open to a trade to the Miami Heat, sources tell ESPN. Durant communicated that he did not want a return to the Golden State Warriors when he discovered that the Phoenix Suns had engaged with his former team on a potential trade.
The Heat considered a swap of Butler for Durant with the teams exchanging proposals, but the Suns sought significant compensation back for him. The Suns paid an exorbitant price to acquire Durant in 2023, but he was two years younger and had three more years remaining on his contract than he does now.
The Heat decided they couldn’t mortgage their future by acquiring Durant at that cost, sources said.
Miami previously pursued Durant when he was a free agent in 2016 and again when he requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 and into 2023. At that time, Durant had both the Suns and Heat on his preferred list of teams.