Kevin Durant requested a trade, and the two teams on his wishlist are the Heat and the Suns. Read to find out which team Noah thinks can make the better offer to the Nets.
Who Can Make the Better Offer For Kevin Durant: Heat or Suns?
NBA superstar Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Unhappy with the situation in Brooklyn, Durant will be looking for a home elsewhere next season.
Nearly every NBA team will be calling to try and acquire Kevin Durant. Although the Nets will make the final decision on where he ends up, Durant has named two teams on his wishlist. Those teams are the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns.
It is no coincidence that these are the two teams Durant has his eye on. Both were the top seed in their respective conference last season. They also feature players that Durant has played with on Team USA.
The Heat and the Suns are expected to aggressively pursue the former MVP. It is likely that one of these teams will land him. However, it might not be as simple as a trade between either team. It will likely require a long haul of players and picks that could involve three or four teams.
Nevertheless, we can compare the Heat and the Suns in terms of what they can offer the Nets. Who can put together the better trade package? Let’s explore the options for each team and find out!
What the Heat Can Offer
There are three things the Nets are going to want: stars, young players, and picks. First, let’s look at the stars. Between the Heat and the Suns, the Heat could offer the Nets the best player in Jimmy Butler. However, it is very unlikely that the Heat are going to give up Butler. The Heat also cannot trade Bam Adebayo to the Nets as long as Ben Simmons is on the roster. Adebayo is also likely one of the reasons Durant is interested in the Heat, since they were teammates in the Tokyo Olympics.
In terms of young players, the Heat have many advantages over other teams. Their most valuable asset is Tyler Herro, who won the Sixth Man of the Year Award last year. He averaged over 20 points per game last season and displayed all-star potential. Another good player the Heat can offer is Duncan Robinson. The Heat have several shooters on their team like Herro and Robinson that could fit well alongside Ben Simmons in Brooklyn.
A weak point for the Heat is draft picks. They have some of their future picks, but not all of them. This forces them to come up with the better offer of more value to the Nets or to another team through their players.
If the Nets want all-stars from the Heat, the closest they are probably going to get would be Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Herro, as previously mentioned, has the potential to become an all-star. Lowry is a former all-star who still excels at playmaking.
It is worth noting that this isn’t the first rodeo for the Miami Heat. They have a history of adding big stars to their team, most notably LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal. Pat Riley is a very convincing member of the Heat front office and can intrigue others with his championship mindset. The Heat are a great franchise from top to bottom, which makes them the team to watch out for during the Kevin Durant saga.
What the Suns Can Offer
The Suns won’t be able to offer Devin Booker unless Ben Simmons gets traded from Brooklyn. Even if they could, the Suns have no interest in departing from their young superstar. The Suns are unlikely to move a 37 year old Chris Paul.
One player the Suns are willing to offer is Deandre Ayton. Although he wouldn’t be the best fit with Ben Simmons, he is an enticing young big man that is valuable to many teams in the NBA.
The Suns also have young players that they could offer the Nets. Two of those players are Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. Bridges is a great defender, while Johnson has shown signs of becoming an elite scorer.
The biggest advantage that the Suns have is that they own all of their picks. That means that they could trade four future first rounders to the Nets. This is going to be key for Phoenix’s chances at landing Kevin Durant with the better offer.
The Suns seem to be Durant’s preferred destination. They feature one of Durant’s Team USA teammates in Devin Booker. Durant is friendly with their coach, Monty Williams. They also have James Jones in their front office, who is a pupil of Pat Riley. Jones has constructed the Suns roster to win now, and he will do everything in his power to acquire Kevin Durant.
Who Can Make the Better Offer?
Neither team can offer anything comparable to Kevin Durant. As previously stated, a third or fourth team is likely to be involved.
That being said, the better offer between the Heat and the Suns ultimately depends on what the Nets are looking for. If they are still looking to compete now, the Heat can provide them with the best players. If they want a complete reset and focus on the future, the Suns are the better option.
If one team were to be chosen over the other, then the Miami Heat are the team with the better offer. They offer better players who can fit around Ben Simmons. They should have the better offer of several young players, some of whom could grow into NBA stars. They also have Pat Riley, who will convince you that his offer is the best offer even if it isn’t.
We still have no idea where KD will end up or when he will be traded, but we can expect the unexpected this offseason. After all, the NBA is always full of surprises.
