Kevin Durant Trade Talks HEAT Up | Can Miami OUTBID Houston and San Antonio?

Kevin Durant Trade Talks HEAT Up | Can Miami OUTBID Houston and San Antonio?

trade talks for Kevin Durant are heating up and we’ll break down the latest on what we’ve heard But is Miami near a deal or are they being just used for leverage and does the front office feel a sense of urgency to get this done we’ll answer that on today’s episode of Locked on Heat [Music] You are Locked on Heat your daily Miami Heat podcast part of the Locked on Podcast Network Your team every day All right welcome to Locked on Heat your daily podcast on the Miami Heat Whether you’re tuning in on YouTube or on your favorite podcast app thanks for making Locked on Heat your first listen every day I’m Wes Goldberg here with David Ramil Both of us are credentialed Heat Media members who cover this team every day For daily content on the heat click that subscribe button on YouTube Make sure you are following us on your podcast app Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel Right now new customers can get $200 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins on FanDuel Have a great show for you today We have got more on the Kevin Durant front uh including a segment half empty or half full Are the Miami Heat simply being used for leverage here or do they actually have the inside track We’re going to attack the Kevin Durant the latest on Kevin Durant from all angles Plus later on in the show we’ll talk about the Desmond Bane trade to Orlando and how that impacts things for Miami and whether or not that impacts the price for Kevin Durant But let’s start with the news ESPN reporting over the weekend that the Miami Heat San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are Kevin Durant’s preferred trade destinations Further reporting Durant is only willing to sign a long-term deal with those teams at least for now Uh but that is not stopping other teams from potentially calling Phoenix about Durant Sounds like half a dozen teams or so could still be interested in maybe even taking Durant uh risking it for maybe even a year rental Teams like Toronto the Clippers these teams have been mentioned in terms of you know what maybe we’d be willing to just trade for Durant for a year and see what happens But um David we talked about what looked like was close to a list of preferred destinations last week as this reporting has gotten out there This to me is a big step This is the official list of trade destinations And it’s not the first time Miami has been on Kevin Durant’s list of preferred trade destinations but now it involves the the Texas teams as well Um this to me is a big deal because now it it feels like a trade is imminent right we’ve got the list of destinations We know that Phoenix and Kevin Durant are working together to sort through some of these trade offers And this it there’ll be some more reporting probably between now and Durant’s ultimate trade but this is the final big domino that had to happen before Durant trade ultimately materialized Right You’re always waiting for the official list of destinations and we got it No doubt Um it certainly shows that Miami is one of the top teams being considered here but and yet I can’t help but feel hesitant knowing what we went through with the Dame Lillard trade that it seems like given the three preferred destinations the field still somehow has the advantage right the other teams that there’s some dark horse candidate that we don’t even know about yet that might swoop in out of left field and just be willing to offer twice as much as Miami or just the right combination of picks and players that might be of interest to the Suns front office and that’s enough to eclipse whatever Miami could potentially put together because that’s not how Miami operates They try to get the best deal possible and it’s a smart way of doing that’s how you operate That’s how you negotiate you try you don’t start off by giving up your best offer right away And it’s burnt Miami in the past And so you wonder whether or not Miami while still being named as one of the preferred destinations how much legitimacy that actually holds once the process really starts to become finalized right it’s a great call and bringing up the Damian Lord thing is is also a nice little reminder that hey this thing isn’t done until it’s done And even if you think that Miami should have the inside track it doesn’t matter Weirdly enough it almost helps Miami that that there’s other teams that Durant would like to go to right because the biggest mistake that they made in the Lillard stuff was trade me to Miami and only Miami And that pissed off Portland and the NBA and everybody uh around it And in this instance it kind of feels like most of it feels like most people are talking about the Texas teams and not Miami I don’t know about you but every time I tune into a podcast or ESPN or something the Heat are kind of just over here as yeah they’re on the list but there’s no real way to get it done And yet I feel like of all of the things that these teams look I I think there’s an obvious need for Houston right that’s probably the cleanest fit in terms of Kevin Durant goes there becomes the number one score Houston playoff team last year awesome defense well coached all these It feels like they’re Kevin Durant away from potentially getting to the Western Conference Finals Yep The idea of San Antonio is clearly the most interesting right the the pairing 37year-old Kevin Durant with Victor Webbyama is is the thing that is the most fun to talk about So that’s why it’s being talked about as much as it is Yeah And yet every time you hear Miami brought up it’s oh yeah yeah and also Miami But like really what are they even doing even among the fan base as you and I know very well it’s split of well what’s even the point of giving getting Kevin Durant does that really move the needle for them you’ve got Bill Simmons over the weekend being like what does that even mean what does that even do for them and I I understand questioning it I really do I get it Like that’s a fair question We also know that that’s not how the Heat operate They don’t operate in terms of does this make us contenders That’s not the question they ask The question they ask is does this give us a chance does this give us a better chance and there’s also no question that having Kevin Durant on your roster gives you a better chance to do something in the Eastern Conference And I and I think that’s why Miami needs to be taken seriously here is regardless of what the outside perspective is on this Miami looks at trades like this as generally worth it But we also know that they draw a line in the sand in terms of this is what we’re willing to give up This is what we are not willing to give up And the more I get to it David and the more people I talk to and things like that I I think the line is going to be drawn to Kalawware I don’t think the Heat are going to include Kawware in a Kevin Durant trade I don’t I think they’ve decided it probably does not make sense for them I have to agree there I I it’s a tough line to draw Well I look I know a lot of even as we’ve suggested or talked about in past episodes a lot of our fans are just really stuck on the idea no you don’t trade a guy like where regardless of how he develops and and there’s no way of knowing that He might not ever reach the pinnacle of his career in Miami We’ve seen this before Sometimes a player just needs a change of scenery Maybe they’re not being utilized properly Maybe it’s just a matter of roster construction There are so many different factors that could potentially disable or propel a player’s individual development and it just might never happen for Khil here in Miami regardless But there’s also the hope that he could become that like a sevenfooter that can shoot block shots etc That’s Can I give some a shout out to another portion of the fan base that we don’t really talk about at least in the YouTube comments there is a group of people in the YouTube comments that hear you say this and be like no trade where what are we talking about it’s Kevin freaking Durant go Like there is I would argue an equal amount of fans who are just like Khlo Wear Who cares he’s a rookie He’s a secondy year player Trade him We’re going to get Kevin Durant I think the fan base is pretty split Yeah I I think Miami would love to hold on to him the same way they probably would have preferred to hold on to say Karan Butler in 2004 But hey when you can go after a Shaquille O’Neal or in this case a Kevin Durant even if they’re aging or whatever you still do it 100 times out of a 100 There there’s no hesitation there Their preference would be to keep Khalil 100% And yet I’m sure that if it came down to that or him being shipped elsewhere especially elsewhere in the Eastern Conference Miami would say “Okay fine We’ll we’ll we’ll budge on this regard.” So I I I just I don’t think that’s going to impede a deal I think it’s just what they’re hoping they’ll include almost anybody else I’m wondering if it’s gonna impede a deal I’m wondering if that’s the line they draw Yeah I’m wondering if it’s Hey you want KL We too bad It’s not happening We’re going to help we’ll help you find a center somewhere else I don’t think so Unless and look we know that the front office has nothing but immense appreciation for what he did as a rookie They believe in him They like his work ethic All of the things there’s a reason they like that about Tyler Herro too And they were willing to include him for anything So I I don’t think I don’t think that’s going to stop them I I I don’t I think that’s again that’s the line that they’d like to draw in saying this is exactly what we’d want to keep You can have our Duncan Robinsons you can have our Terry Rozers our Andrew Wiggins our picks whatever We don’t care But we’re not going to give we don’t prefer to give up wear But if they say “Listen if you don’t give us where we’re going to send them to New York okay you can’t have a wear.” Like I mean I think that’s ultimately what it’ll come down to for Miami just because the front office has always operated that way like they’re going to wait until the last second and Pat Riley Andy Ellisburg etc they’re masterful negotiators It’s burnt them in the past because of where they draw that line and they hope that eventually the the opposing team that they’re dealing with will cave but that isn’t always the case And yet I I think Miami would still ultimately you can’t you can’t do that either in negotiations once once the the deal falls through because you’re unwilling or at least on the surface unwilling to include where you can’t call back and be like no no no we were just kidding we’ll include where to your point like recently they have drawn that line and not gotten over it and not gotten Kevin Durant not gotten Damen Lillard not gotten these players and the difference between KD and Shaq was Shaq was 32 when he was traded when He’s traded to Miami An MVP type player Yeah Durant is probably not an MVP I don’t know He’s people He was like in the top five of MVP on the MVP ladders and things like that within the first few months of last season But he’s also going to be 37 And it’s fair to wonder how much how many more years does he have left and you’re going to have to give him that contract extension That’s that’s why I think Miami would say you know what as much as we would love to have Kevin Durant it’s not moving the needle enough for us at this point for long enough where we’re going to be willing to give up where I could be I’m look I’m open to being wrong but I’m just telling you like my feel for it is and I’m trying to phrase this the best I can my feel for it is that that line in the sand is is a pretty strong line when it comes to KL Wear but to your point like things change and negotiations change and the league changes and ultimately if they say you know what Giannis isn’t moving Kevin Durant is out there like we kind of have to go make a move and and maybe they ultimately just do it and maybe they’re able solve that center need in other ways too right even if they do trade Kawware um like we did in our lockdown NBA mock draft So there’s a tease for that little thing Um all right let’s move it along here Um things might be trending in Miami’s direction as far as trade talks go We’ll tell you why or maybe why not after this Today’s episode is brought to you by Monarch Money You ever check your bank account and wonder where did all my money go between dining out or spending some money online doing a little shopping here and there maybe a couple entertainment things during the course we all live in South Florida We know what that’s like It’s easy to lose track But that’s where Monarch Money comes in Your personal CFO giving you full visibility and control over your finances Monarch Money isn’t just a budgeting app It’s a complete financial command center You can track all of your accounts investments and spending in one place So you stop just managing your money and you start building wealth When you start using Monarch you’ll realize just how much you’re spending on food delivery and entertainment Now and I know this for personally you budget smarter and you save more So take control of your finances with Monarch Money Use code locked on NBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year That’s monarchmoney.com And use the code locked on NBA for half off your first year We’ll be right back [Music] I want to get to this part of the report from The Athletic that I feel like kind of got overlooked over the weekend David Yeah They also reported on Kevin Durant’s list of preferred destinations and focused on the San Antonio and Houston part of it Yeah And while mentioning that Kevin Durant would prefer to play in San Antonio or Houston and we talked about why Kevin Durant might want to be playing in Texas at the end of last week but they said yes he would prefer to play in San Antonio or Houston but and this is the part that I feel like got overlooked it’s becoming less likely that those teams offer up their best packages And some of the reporting around San Antonio specifically over the last few days feels like the Spurs have maybe cooled on the idea of getting Kevin Durant for whatever reason Yep And it’s clear that they’re not going to include the number two pick And maybe that’s what it was Maybe it was hey they had trade calls with Phoenix and Phoenix was like hey we want the number two pick And San Antonio was like no no thanks And maybe the two sides are just too far apart Now San Antonio does have I think the 14th pick also in the draft So maybe you know this the 14th pick and the second pick are very different as we know they have some other picks they have some young players things like that so maybe they can go back to the negotiating table and again I am just speculating here but the reporting around the Spurs at least suggests that they’ve cooled on the idea of Kevin Durant maybe are backing off of that right now where it felt like there was a lot of people just going so far as to predict that Kevin Durant was going to end up on the Spurs a week ago but again things have changed it seems and then with Houston it never has felt like the Rockets were going allin for Kevin Durant and this idea a by the way that just because Houston owns a bunch of these future Phoenix picks 2027 and a few other ones that they would just like offer those for Kevin Durant If I’m Houston why would I do that i know you’re going to trade Kevin Durant You’re either trading him to me or some other team and I know you’re going to be worse Yeah Why would I give you your pick back that could be a really good pick Why would I just do that that’s not free money That’s my That’s my pick now So um I don’t know that Houston looks at Kevin Durant with their core and says “Yep that that’s what we’re going to spend this awesome draft these awesome assets on where they could wait for something else potentially that fits maybe more of their timeline.” So we’re going to play a little game of half empty half full here Where are you now on are are you looking at the glass half empty half full in terms of Miami’s chances to land KD I’m looking at it more half full to be honest with you Um I think if these other teams were much more determined to get something done something would be done by now It almost felt like at the end of last week when we were recording and and and talking about the latest on KD news as you said it it felt like KD to the Spurs was a foregone conclusion You had John Cambodo talking in Phoenix saying his people close to him Spurs whatever like it was going to happen almost like everybody else was an afterthought And then you had the Knicks potentially coming in and they were a strong contender We talked about Minnesota as being a very intriguing option for for KD as well And yet none of those things seems to have manifested So now I I just it’s interesting how Miami always gets overlooked And the last time that happened at a significant level was in 2019 when everybody was sending Jimmy Butler to Houston or the Clippers and that was the final destination Oh he’s he he’s going to be a Clipper Oh he’s going to be a Rock I can’t recall how many people reporters like us talking about that the Rockets were a done deal That was the best fit for for him Not even considering Miami Remember the conversations following the acquisition of Jimmy Butler it was “Oh he’s coming to retire in Miami Beach like so many other seniors before him.” I mean I mean that was pretty ridiculous And obviously in hindsight it it panned out It turned out to be pretty ridiculous in general for people to even consider that But I I feel like that’s the same thing Like Miami clearly not a contending team And while San Antonio probably isn’t a contending team either at least they have the promise of of Victor Webbyama And so you can talk yourself into that Well that’s the best fit That would be an exciting team You have an older veteran KD You have a young superstar in Weaponyama It’s going to be the a team to contend or at least make things interesting Houston a really good team second in the Western Conference I mean they played really good basketball and maybe a KD away from true contention Uh they were exposed by the Golden State Warriors a little bit in the playoffs and they just didn’t have enough offensively So you wonder whether or not KD might be that final factor And then there’s Miami Nobody cares about Miami Nobody talks about Miami Nobody even thinks that they’re a realistic option They don’t have enough Pat Riley’s wash don’t do anything It’s just these constant narratives that I’ve always that always kind of play out here Even when we went through this with the Lillard talks like when it it felt like Damen Lillard to Miami was 99% done people were still discounting what Miami had to offer in terms of their trade package and everything else like that And it turned out to be for for different reasons ultimately that a a deal never got done And yet I think everybody just seems to want to always discount Miamiy’s role in all this So you’re asking me if I’m half full or half empty I like Miami’s chances They just they’re always in the conversation for a reason And I don’t know why that is the case I can’t pinpoint it to any one thing because if you look at it just on paper Miami might not have the best package available to acquire a player like KD They didn’t maybe they didn’t have the best package available to acquire a guy like Damian Lillard but yet they’re always in the conversation for a reason Everybody always considers him and and this coming from the player is one thing but it doesn’t matter what KD prefers If Phoenix doesn’t like what Miami has to offer he can prefer whatever the hell you want You could prefer going to the goddamn moon but we’re not going to send you there because there’s no team that can trade with what we want So preferences don’t matter ultimately and you wouldn’t have such a clearly stated report At least I don’t think so Well the the fact that he could become a free agent in 2026 okay that’s when he’s able to start moving the market a little bit but that’s but but you don’t have to worry about that from Phoenix’s perspective But Kevin Durant could put the Kaibos on potential trade packages For instance the team that has fallen off of these lists is Minnesota Durant has clearly signaled to Minnesota I’m not going to sign there long term So Minnesota says okay then we’re not going to trade for you So any potential package that like they don’t Phoenix doesn’t get to choose from the Minnesota package anymore because it’s not on the table So Durant has leverage Well or you could take a chance though I mean Toronto and Kawhi Leonard I mean sure Totally Absolutely But they also might not Whereas if Durant said “Yeah I would sign there.” Then Minnesota would be like “Okay great Here’s the package.” It would be no questions right so but to your point it could it could it could go either way but Durant can influence it potentially Um I think the other part that gets lost here a lot is well San Antonio and Houston can beat any package for Miami so Miami is just discounted which is true but just because they can doesn’t mean they will And instead of looking at the best packages that these teams can offer it might be more instructive to look at sort of the middle packages that these teams can offer Yeah And who has the best middleley package and you look at like Houston’s midi package What is it jaylen Green Dylan Brooks and the 10th pick Okay it’s not bad Depends It really depends on what you think of Jaylen Green if you’re Phoenix Not much but I’m not I’m like I’m going to build around Jaylen Green Devin Booker and I still have Bradley Beal on my roster That doesn’t seem like that works Dylan Brooks makes some sense for them Having the 10th pick might be nice Um but I don’t know that I want to be committed to Jaylen Green in that way Yeah San Antonio What like again they’re not you’re not getting Stefon Castle You’re not getting Darren Fox You’re not getting the number two pick You’re probably not getting their best picks Okay So what is it harrison Barnes Kell Johnson Would they even include Would they even include Deon Vel i don’t know Yeah they seem to really like him Barnes Kell Johnson the 14th pick Is that moving the needle for me and I’m not sitting here telling you that Wiggins Duncan Robinson and like Hime or Nico in the 20th pick is some sort of home run package but it’s right there with those other packages And it offers you the cap flexibility that these other teams can’t offer you in terms of the Duncan Robinson part of it San Antonio can offer you a little bit of flexibility because of where they are against the cap but not as much So I don’t know you know and and how many picks are they those teams willing to ultimately include and how many picks is Miami ultimately willing to include here is a big part of this because Miami can include the 20th pick later this month and then two more first So they can include a maximum of three Houston and San Antonio could beat that But again the the question isn’t can they the question is would they and I and just based on the reporting on Houston and San Antonio I don’t know that they would Yeah I I tend to agree there I It’s going to be interesting like I mean all these trade talks like this first superstar something always comes out later on and in terms of what swayed things in one way and I think we are going to hear about the teams that were this close or maybe ultimately just said you know what that’s too rich for our blood Um and yet again I I just to answer the first question like I mean how are you feeling do you think it’s half full or half empty at this point because I I think you stand in the same position I do which is to say that I you we like Miami’s chances That the fact that they’re in this conversation to begin with and that they’ve got as far as they have I think it’s as close to a slam dunk as you can possibly get And and yet there’s always a potential Give me a percentage Who are you percentage-wise I’d say 75 I was going to say 65 Yeah And I felt like that even that was pretty optimistic considering that you know it’s Miami or the field potentially here like Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Um I I that’s in some Yeah Well the locked on heat position is 70 Um on one hand I’m always pretty optimistic with this stuff I was optimistic about Damon Lillard until the very end right yeah I’m I’m I was optimistic that even before the I thought for sure there was a moment in February that I was like “Oh my god we’re about to trade Jimmy D Butler for Kevin Durant.” Like I I was about there was a point where I was at 90% there And I don’t even know that I was wrong I just think that talks basically dissolved right but uh I tend to be a little optimistic but also hesitantly So if that makes any sense Like I’m at 65 and I won’t I won’t let myself get up to like 80 No not after Lillard I was so convinced of Lillard I I mean I I don’t think you and I represented the more uh cocky andor arrogant at least in terms of what other fan bases or even media members believed as far as South Florida or Miami Heatbased reporters We were not on Matt Moore’s uh bleed list No No But it it felt like it felt like a done deal It felt like Miami had everything They were positioned in just the right way It seemed like such an obvious fit He It was clear he was clearly flirting with Miami And after that finals run it just seemed like there was going to be they were going to find a way to get it done And then ultimately I guess the Portland front office was just like “No no we don’t like the way this is working out We’re going to do what else is available to us.” And and nobody expected Milwaukee there Milwaukee came in at the That’s what I’m waiting for What’s the team nobody expected Toronto when Kawaii got traded to Toronto Like we’ve seen this before My favorite like out of left field trade for Durant is would Phoenix just say bleep it We’ll trade Durant for Zion Williamson you know Oh my god And then and New Orleans just says we get out of the the Zion business We get Kevin Durant here for a little while sell him tickets try to make a take a step in the right direction as a franchise and then he leaves in a year I don’t know He gets he gets reunited with Billy Donovan in Chicago Do they do some kind of deal with Josh Giddy or something i don’t know Like I mean there’s a lot of different potential options there Like there is there’s always that dark horse cannon There is something to watch for Meanwhile Kevin Durant trade has not happened as of us recording this but we did get a big trade over the weekend Desmond Bane goes to Orlando and maybe not on its face but trust me there is a lot of ripple effects ways that this impacts the Miami Heat We’re going to talk about that next here on Locked on Heat Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel The NBA finals are in full swing and every night delivers highlight worthy performances major momentum shifts and can’t miss moments H see I can’t believe the season is almost at an end But you know what there’s still plenty of opportunity right now Whether it’s a game time winning shot or a breakout player there’s never been a better time to get in on the action And FanDuel makes it easy to stay in the game before tip off and live with player props performance trends and same game parlays Fans have more ways than ever to play smart and win big Right now you might have a couple games left in the NBA season Now is the time to capitalize So head over to FanDuel It’s a perfect time to sign up Head to FanDuel right now fanuel.com and place your first $5 bet If it wins you get $200 in bonus bets That’s fuel.com Make every moment more with FanDuel the official sports betting partner of the NBA We’ll be right back [Music] Let’s talk about the big trade that happened over the weekend Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for four first round picks Contavius Caldwell Pope and Cole Anthony And the big question here now is what does this do to the trade market what does this mean for the Miami Heat we’ll start with the trade market for Kevin Durant first Four first round picks for Desmond Bane is a lot That’s a lot Yep But do you think it impacts at all the price of Kevin Durant because you could argue that well Kevin Durant is a much better player than Desmond Bane which is true not as young but better Um and say well if Bane went for four what Desmond Durant has to go for what 12 first round picks like what do you think this impacts the price of Durant though because I don’t think it works that way I don’t think so either I think there’s a a set market and the teams involved are kind of drawing their line Like I mean again you got four first round picks going for Desmond Bane and then you have Miami fans saying no you can’t trade Khil Wear for for Kevin Durant like like that’s just where it the markets are completely different and what teams are offering for KD is not and I think Orlando screwed the pooch tremendously like Bane’s a fine addition I like him as a player We liked him coming into the draft and yet they gave up way too much in my opinion for it I I think it’s a it’s a maybe a move that helps them but I don’t think it’s enough to really include that kind of draft And I maybe maybe I’m mistaken Like I I mean again for somebody who tends to devalue the draft as much as I do even I’m kind of like four first round picks for Desmond Bane like you know it just seems like too much It feels a little bit like the the Rudy Gobear trade a couple years ago Reminds me of the British trade from last year Yeah And I get it because nobody thought Desmond Bane was available Sure So if you’re Orlando and you say “Well this is the guy we want Let’s go call Let’s call Memphis and say what’s it going to take?” We want Desmond Bane That’s the guy He’s not so on the ball that he’s going to dominate and take the ball away from Paulo and Fron But he could do enough on the ball Maybe we think we could tap into a little bit more on the ball with him Um but he he could definitely do some stuff on the ball He has he had to experiment with that a lot over the last couple years with Jaw in and out of the lineup Y um high character guy hard worker doesn’t take anything off the table for us defensively Like he’s just the right fit Kind of how the Knicks looked at Muel Bridges as went to Villanova we got to get this guy And um what’s it going to cost you right if these guys aren’t for sale then you got to make them for sale And that’s why I don’t think it impacts the Kevin Durant market is because everybody knows that Kevin Durant is for sale Phoenix is clearly going to trade Kevin Durant They’ve been shopping him for months now So you just don’t get the same price right like you don’t get to shop Kevin Durant at a premium You’re kind of shop you’re not kind of you are shopping him at a discount right kevin Durant is almost on the clearance rack right like there’s a big sign outside of Phoenix Suns that says going out of business Everything must go And Memphis was just sort of sitting here like uh we got a house that we love but if you come knocking on the door and offer you know a million over asking price or something I guess we’re going to sell it I guess we got to sell the house like we can’t say no to it and and that’s sort of what it feels like happened here Yeah it’s a good analogy I I think it works out pretty well It’s uh you know that again I think comparatively speaking KD very much still a much better player than Desmond Bane is Um you you wonder why I I don’t know like I I should Orlando not have tried to see if they could make that kind of move for KD like I mean wouldn’t that have been a better deal wouldn’t like prefer to get there I think they like Bane because he’s 27 and Paulo and Fron are 22 and 23 and they’re they said we’re here for a long time not a good time I don’t know Uh maybe but but I think the the move also kind of signals the the shifting mindset in the Eastern Conference Yes that’s why Yep Yeah This is it signifies the idea that it’s a wide open field Cleveland dominant last year during the regular season and exposed a tad there Indiana maybe over exceeding expectations to a certain degree Boston going to be kind of punting this year because of the loss of Jason Tatum So there’s a lot of there’s very good teams New York still weak uh going through a coaching change Who knows what’s going to happen with that group right now Can they get better than they were this year maybe Or they could also get worse And so right now you look at all the top teams in the Eastern Conference and any one of them could emerge as an Eastern Conference champion And if that’s the case we’re seeing with Indiana right now like they took a historically good Oklahoma City team and have evened up the series And maybe again that’s I I don’t mean to discredit Indiana If anything I think we we we’re certainly believers in what the Pacers are capable of but they’ve challenged the Thunder in a way that I don’t think a lot of people expected them to right and so when you look at people believe that they’re beatable right even if they go ahead and win the championship and I think Indiana’s awesome And and they are the number one seed in the East next year They’re the number one team in the East next year already like they’ve already proven by being in a two- two tie with the with the Thunder Yeah They are capable of winning the championship which means they are the best team in the Eastern Conference because I think Cleveland to your point showed real flaws I you you h you can’t not have questions about the Cavs at this point And I love that Cavs team in the regular season and they wiped the floor with Miami in the first round But you can’t walk away from the playoffs and and feel good about what the Cavs got going on in terms of winning a championship Boston we already talked about my you you maybe you said New York maybe isn’t as good My bet would be yeah I don’t think you’re as good I think they’re going to screw up this coaching thing in a big way Um I think the East is wide open and so you’ve got the Magic now making I don’t know if this is an all-in move but it’s a really a like this is as allin as as Orlando gets right what wasn’t the last time they made a trade was like for Markeel Folultz in 2019 or something like they don’t trade for players This is this is as allin as they get and they probably have another move or two to make by the way this offseason It feels like the Magic are saying we’re betting on Paulo making that superstar leap We think Jaylen Suggs can be our point guard of the future We’re betting on Fron taking up another level and we just think Desmond Bane is the perfect fit around those guys Let’s go for this Does this mean that the Heat then need to be more aggressive because the Orlando’s in our division right like we’re talking about the team that’s won the Southeast Conference or division two years in a row now I don’t know It does does the Heat look at the Desmond Bane trade and say we kind of really need to land Kevin Durant now i would think so I I would think so I although even I think landing Kevin Durant would certainly help Miami And yet I don’t know whether or not that makes him clearly better than Orlando either right like I mean Orlando’s a really good team and they can make more moves that might not be in the same kind of home run swing as trying to acquire KD but they can improve the roster just enough so that you already have the superstar young talent in France Vagner and Paula Picro etc Jaylen Suggs like you’ve got enough there M it seems like Miami would has to acquire KD and yet they also have to do something else in order to be able to really propel them past the rest of those top teams in the Eastern Conference I think that’s exactly right and it’s you know what we’ve talked about right the idea of hey does adding Kevin Durant to Miami make them a contender in the East no you and I aren’t sitting here and being like if the Heat just put Kevin Durant on the roster all of a sudden they’re contenders in the East But it’s a step in that direction and it would require also some other things that we think that the Heat would try to do right they wouldn’t stop you And by the way that’s the benefit of maybe getting a Kevin Durant deal done early is if you get it done by the draft you’ve got the you’ve got all of free agency to figure out the rest of this thing And I do think that the Desmond trade Desmond Bane trade to Orlando signifies that there is urgency in the East by some teams And if you’re not if you’re not pushing forward to try to make the most out of these next couple of years year or two then you might as well go backwards because there’s no point especially for a team that’s been in the playing tournament three years in a row like Miami to just stay where you are So that kind of leads us to our our next conversation that we want to have this week which is okay if not Kevin Durant then what for Miami like what’s the plan B so that could be a nice uh uh place to stop this conversation We’ll pick it up again when we get into that But for now thanks for making Lockdown Heat your first listen today For your second listen check out the Locked On NBA Big Board show NBA draft expert Raphael Barlo reacts to every workout interview and rumor leading up to the NBA draft Find locked on NBA Big Board on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts Also we’re in the middle of the Stanley Cup Go check out Locked on Panthers and go Cats

Will the MIAMI HEAT land KEVIN DURANT in a blockbuster trade? Wes Goldberg and David Ramil dissect the latest NBA trade rumors, analyzing the HEAT’s chances against rivals like the Spurs and Rockets.

They break down potential trade packages, debate the inclusion of young assets like Kel’el Ware, and explore how recent moves—including Desmond Bain to the Magic—reshape the Eastern Conference landscape. From Durant’s preferences to Miami’s negotiation tactics, this in-depth discussion covers every angle of the NBA’s hottest trade saga.

Timestamps

0:00 Intro: Kevin Durant trade talks heating up
5:09 Durant’s preferred trade destinations revealed
14:46 Analyzing Miami’s chances to land Durant
25:59 Desmond Bane trade impact on Durant market
33:37 Heat’s urgency to make moves in East

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