Heat Trade Package For Kevin Durant Gets Mixed Bag Of Reactions
Heat Trade Package For Kevin Durant Gets Mixed Bag Of Reactions originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After weeks of speculation, it's finally over! The Miami Heat lost to the Houston Rockets in the race for Kevin Durant's signature. The Suns held discussions with several teams in recent weeks, but according to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Rockets and Heat were the leading candidates.
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Miami pushed hard until the finish, but it was Houston who sealed the deal. Charania revealed what the Suns had been seeking from the Heat before turning to the Rockets.
Despite serious interest in Durant, the Heat rejected a deal that would've included Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick, and more, per Charania.
Moving on from the trio of promising players and extra draft assets, including their own first-round pick this year, appeared too steep a price for the Heat to pay for Durant.
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The reasoning made sense to some fans, though others remained unconvinced.
One of the fans praised Miami Heat president for his smart decision. 'Good. As it should be. Pat is smart,' they wrote.
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Another Heat fan, however, was not happy with the decision and hurled insults at Riley.
'This is disgusting, f– you Pat', they lamented.
One commenter questioned the rationale behind the Heat trading their young core for Kevin Durant, who is not getting any younger.
'Why would they trade away their young core for an aging KD with maybe one or two good seasons left?' they asked.
Another user joked that Jokic doesn't even play for the Heat, taking a swipe at his poor performances.
Another fan backed the Heat's decision, believing it would have been reckless to trade future potential for quick success.
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The sentiment was echoed by another user.
Related: Kevin Durant Addresses Infamous 'Crying' Rumor
Related: NBA Insider Reveals Heat's Possible Kevin Durant Trade Package
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
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