Miami Heat And Phoenix Suns Reportedly Among The Preferred Destinations For Kevin Durant

The Nets star has requested a trade after failing to win in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant shook up the beginning of NBA free agency by requesting a trade Thursday afternoon. 

Now, the question is this: Can the Miami Heat get involved? 

Durant announced his decision before free agency begins at 6 p.m. The Heat and the Phoenix Suns are atop his list of destinations, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Phoenix and Miami are among two of the teams that Kevin Durant has on his wish list, sources tell ESPN, but the Nets plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal. With four years on his contract, there's no shortage of teams willing to unload assets for Durant.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Durant wants out after an uneventful tenure with the Nets. Despite assembling a super team with James Harden and Ben Simmons, they never came close to winning a title. 

Durant, who won two championships with a stacked Golden State Warriors team, wants to remain on a contending team. The Heat and Suns were the top seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference this season, falling just short of their championship goals. The Heat lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals while the Mavs upset the Suns in the conference semifinals. 

It was known the Heat had interest in Durant after ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst suggested they go after him instead of Nets guard Kyrie Irving. 

Windhorst said the Heat should wait and see if Kevin Durant wants out of Brooklyn.

“The godfather move is not to trade for Kyrie Irving,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up. “The godfather move is to let the Kyrie Irving situation blow up and then wait for Kevin Durant to say he wants out of there. That’s the Miami Heat move.”

Now, it's up to team president Pat Riley can get it done.

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