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Kevin Durant Trade Rumors: Star Only Wants Heat Move If Butler, Adebayo, Lowry Stay

Paul Kasabian

Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant requested a trade Thursday, and the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are on his wish list.

KD, however, reportedly isn't interested in the Heat unless Miami can keep Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry, per Sam Amick of The Athletic:

"As for the Miami possibility that also seems to be in play, I'm told there's a significant obstacle on that front. Durant, it seems, would only want to play on a Heat team that includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry. So even if the Heat were willing to move Butler in a deal as a way of satisfying the Nets' (understandably pricey) request, doing so would leave Durant discontented from the start."

Durant should return a massive haul. The 33-year-old just averaged 29.9 points per game on 51.8 percent shooting with 7.4 rebounds and a career-high 6.4 assists in 2021-22.

There's a logistical issue at play with a potential Durant-Heat trade, as Amick noted:

"As others have pointed out, Adebayo comes with a complication of his own even beyond the fact that Durant likely wants him to stay. Since teams aren't allowed to have two players on designated rookie-max extensions who came their way via trade, Brooklyn would have to trade Ben Simmons to bring in Adebayo. If the Heat's best offer is centered on Tyler Herro, I just don't see how that ever gains any traction."

There are tea leaves that indicate Phoenix will be Durant's destination. For starters, the Suns are led by head coach Monty Williams, who was an assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015-16, Durant's last season with the organization. Per Amick, Williams and Durant have a "close relationship."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst also predicted Durant will end up in Arizona.

The Heat have stiff competition in the Suns alone, and many other teams are undoubtedly interested in KD. At least one superstar wants his team to pursue Durant, per Jason Dumas of KRON4 News.

It's been a shocking offseason thus far, but a quartet of Durant, Butler, Adebayo and Lowry appears unlikely.

   

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