Stephen A. is ‘DISAPPOINTED’ in Miami for not acquiring Kevin Durant 🗣️👀 | First Take

Stephen A. is ‘DISAPPOINTED’ in Miami for not acquiring Kevin Durant 🗣️👀 | First Take

huge news broke just hours ahead of game seven as Kevin Durant was traded to the Rockets it was a blockbuster deal that sends Jaylen Green Dylan Brooks the 10th pick in this year’s draft and five second round picks to Phoenix kd will now join his fifth team in his 18-year career looking to elevate a Houston team that just saw a first round exit to the Warriors this postseason my goodness 18 years all right what’s at stake for KD on his fifth team jay I don’t you know any of legacy talk to me I I I think I already recognize that KD is a two-time Finals MVP a two-time world champion contextually people will get into the context of it i I think those conversations dissipate over time when people recognize that that is the greatest score in the history of the game that is a 7-oot unicorn that does things that nobody on this planet can do is his attitude to a degree polarizing for some people Keith Stephen A sure does he rub people the wrong way sure is he a leader like LeBron James or other people probably not but he leads in different ways and I think when it comes to his on the court tactics and who he is it’s one of the most special players the game of basketball has ever seen so to me I think the legacy of Kevin Durant is already cemented it can only improve and I think Houston Udoka and the talent he has around him has a chance to enhance that resume i don’t think it can hurt his resume go ahead Keith keith I agree with everything you said Jay right but I’m going to take a different approach to this one right as a player right we we love to see guys be able to control the narrative of their career right and that and that’s what Kevin Durant has been able to do from every step that he’s made good or bad he’s been able to do it himself so with with that being said I’d like to give you your flowers on that right but the next thing is like what is Houston going to look like going forward we need Kevin Durant to go into Houston and make Houston and leave Houston a better place than what it was right we need you to contend for these titles these next couple years however long you there we need you to help grow these players not just by showing example on the court by also being vocal and helping uh uh leave basketball a better place than than than what it was when you left the game that’s what we need Kevin Durant to do but his legacy is already been submitted like Jay said he can only make it better going forward i’m going to say this in front of two players because I want to make sure that the right perspective is being provided kevin Durant has been on the record you know he called me a clown and all this stuff he clap back at me i don’t give a damn i love I love KD kd KD I love KD you know what I’m saying kd is a good brother he just gets sensitive sometimes when he don’t like something that’s a good brother right there he his heart’s in the right place don’t mean nobody no harm don’t want to bother nobody one of if not the greatest scorer that has ever played the game a two-time champion a two-time NBA Finals MVP but he doesn’t get to walk into Houston jay without the threat of a legacy being compromised in this regard not as a champion not as a champion here’s where I’m going kevin does what Kevin does he marches to the beat of his own drum when you are a relatively young team what do you fear when you bring in a mega star that’s like that what kind of an impact are you going to have on the younger players on the comeup that’s why I’m I’m flowing with Keith here when it’s talking about you can’t depart Houston with them being the same or worse than what they were before you arrived last three years he goes home in the second round it would have been the first had Kawhala not got hurt then the next year you got swept by Minnesota this year you didn’t even make the playoffs now he doing his 27 a night he’s balling but when you see the pieces around him no are you directly responsible for everybody else of course not but in the same breath to whom much is given much is required and when you’re that great and that much of an investment has been placed in you a team is going to want some semblance of leadership there’s more than one way to lead and I get that because you said that at many occasions but they’re going to want something from you and when you got email there and you got those pieces in there and they were knocking on the door this season as a number two seed in the entire Western Conference you don’t trade a Dylan Brooks and a Jaylen Green and a 10th overall pick and five second round picks for you to come there and us be the same or worse not when you still good for 27 a night on 50% shoot from the field on damn near 50 or 40% from three-point range you being that all world player there’s expectations and Kevin Durant what he cannot do even though he has Ema Udoka to handle most of that load you can’t walk into Houston and be like “I’mma do what I do i score points i put buckets in the hole i’m just gonna do what I do and I ain’t got to worry about nothing else.” They need more than that from him if they’re going to ascend and you got to embrace that responsibility especially since you picked them as one of the teams you wanted to go to if they just trade for you and you had no control and you didn’t want to be there that’s a different problem but when you said “I want to go there i want to play there okay we got you now what you gonna do it’s more than the 27 a night you got to be more do you think he hasn’t tried to do that as stops well because I would insinuate that he hasn’t tried to do that well what he says right what he says he says stuff like I chill I do me blah blah blah and you know this better than me you know this better than me he has been places where he’s not trying to really ingratiate himself into the mix of certain things cuz he don’t want that kind of drama there’s nothing wrong with it i’m simply saying that when you’re going to a team like who’s younger and you ask to be there you got to do a little more than just black that’s all I’m saying be being a teammate of of Kevin Durant he does all the right things the team function the working hard by example it’s just the other stuff that he needs to come be uncomfortable with doing and that’s leading by example i mean more so leading by example as a vocal leader right because being in the league right now the players need more of that like you know what I mean obviously they see it but they need guys to be leading more vocal like I said to lead the league better than what we than what it was when he was in the league you know what I mean that’s what’s needed to be done and all I’m saying Jay is I’ll defer to you and Keith who obviously don’t i’m simply saying that because you asked to go there what you’re typically known for that ain’t enough no more because now you asked to go there that’s right so because you asked to go there and they granted you your wish you got to give more than you’re accustomed to doing i’m not talking on the basketball court i’m just talking overall leadership having an impact i will say this though it’s interesting you know watching Mind the Game with LeBron and Steve Nash Steve has a very laidback type of personality even when he was you know when they were in Phoenix they had it didn’t feel like they had coaches that would resonate with him the way Udoka does and that’s going to be an opportunity for them to have growth because of their relationship they have from Brooklyn USA basketball to grow into that and I’m down and I’m down with you with the Phoenix part you ain’t getting away with that with Brooklyn cuz Steve Nash didn’t have to be there you picked that you picked it steve Nash isn’t there as the coach of the Brooklyn Nets kyrie dynamic that I think Kyrie would have I’m not saying KD picked him i’m simply saying we all know that Brooklyn was going to do what KD wanted to do so the point is Steve Nash whatever he lacked that was you had Atkinson you didn’t they let him go the Miami Heat were one of the teams in the mix for Kevin Durant before the Suns came to a deal with the Rockets according to Arsham Strania the Heat made multiple offers for Durant but were willing uh to give up Nicola Joic Haywood Highmith the number 20 pick and other draft assets to get the deal done miami parted ways with star player Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline and got swept by Cleveland in round one of the playoffs all right uh bringing in Mar do we have him here with us there he is uh Marke tell me this did Miami make a mistake missing out on KD of course they made a mistake like why would you not go get one of a Hall of Famer to actually give you guys the push to get over right he has ties with Ban playing in USA basketball he can help Tyler Herro grow but no disrespect to the players but the pieces that you had to give up to give KD i’m doing that 10 out of 10 times and in the basketball world I think everybody else is doing that 10 out of 10 times right especially with how up in the air the East will be next year right you have teams up and coming like the Orlando Magic that just got banged so you got teams like that up and coming but other than that it’s like it’s up in the air you have the Knicks that you have to go against but other than that the guy like Kevin Durant added to that team added to that foundation that structure that they already have how How can you not do that i I just don’t I just don’t get um like the players like I I know who you were trading and the pieces i’m just like I’m I’m in awe like I’m I’m just still sitting like how did that not happen are you baffled too Stephen A i’m disappointed um you know because obviously I have not just respect but reverence for the great Pat Riley but the flip side to it is that how are you not getting people to come to South Beach um and in Kevin Durant’s case he was willing to come there in Damen Lillard’s case he was willing to come there and you couldn’t get a deal done pat Riley that we know and love and reveal all of these years always found a way to get it done but that hasn’t been the case and I’m I’m I’m I’m flumx as to why that is eric Spolra is a Hall of Fame coach eric Sper is going to be coaching Team USA in 2028 if he wants it trust me it’s going to be his if he wants it okay but this is a guy that deserves better than the talent that you’ve given him to work with in recent memory jimmy Butler was begrudgingly a number one option jimmy Butler is very very comfortable being a number two option and having a legitimate bonafide number one to defer to he’s that kind of star in this league you got to take those things into consideration when you’re questioning what the hell is going on in Miami and I think that you know for me personally you know Jame Hz Joic Highmith the number 20th pick you trying to tell me you were reluctant to give that up for Kevin Durant when I’m thinking about the poss even though I know they wanted Tyler Herro and Miami wasn’t giving it up I’m thinking of the possibility Kevin Durant with Bam Adabio and Tyler Herro ladies and gentlemen that’s something to contend with in the Eastern Conference that’s something to contend with in the Eastern Conference how do you not go all out to make that happen there can only be one reason that make makes sense which Jay you pointed out if you’re going all in on Giannis if that is not what you’re doing then you have dropped the ball and if you have dropped the ball then we got to ask questions once again about P me people have gotten on me they thinking I’m talking Pat Riley need to retire whatever pat Riley is a legend i’m not telling him to step down i’m telling him to step up step up to America status hang out with Mickey Mickey Harrison and the crew and let Eric Sper roll up in there and have the clout and the power to make some decisions that resonate with the modern-day generation of players because the Pat Raleigh that I know and love Pat Riley would have found a way to get one of them damn players to South Beach and to miss out on both of them and to not really have anybody a star in South Beach i I I I find that very very difficult to comprehend considering no state income taxes beautiful weather beautiful everything and I find it very hard that to understand why you can’t make that happen fellas i just I just don’t understand it they passed him twice at the trade deadline they had an opportunity to make an offer kd was open to Miami and they ended up doing the deal with Golden State instead they could have done a deal for Kevin Durant but they didn’t want to because in the in the deal that they did for Jimmy Butler they received first round draft picks at least one the deal that they would have had to go to Kevin Durant they would had to pay them so keep in mind then they come around again i actually don’t think this offer was better than the offer Houston made because the 10th pick in this draft i think there’s a belief that that that my that Phoenix could get somebody that can really help them short term here um because so I I don’t necessarily think it was just you know you know apples to apples however they very clearly could have improved their offer and elected not to so let’s take what do we make of this their actions that dictate that they don’t seem to really want Durant at all at all costs which means that they’re saving that stuff for something else whether it’s Giannis or something we don’t know yet i I I think it’s a smart play i I I I I I really do um I get it in a vacuum with the history Stephen that you just laid out but if you’re looking at it rationally first off like you just alluded to Brian like I’m getting two starters and a 10th pick in the draft that’s one hell of an offer again Dylan Brooks who’s defensively who’s a dog and I got Jaylen who has some questions but there’s a lot of upside compared to if I don’t want to throw in a Tyler Hero if I don’t want to mortgage my entire future for KD at 37 right now I think if you’re looking at it in totality it seems like more of the practical play but there I would agree like there has to be a move that sets you up for more long-term success I don’t know what that move is yet I think it could be Giannis there’s other things but I think if there anything we learn from the NBA finals is what is the long-term approach that you’re taking toward how your roster lineup is set well remember I’m only going by the reports what I mean by that is I’m not talk I’m not trying to imply that Miami’s offer was better than Houston’s what I’m saying is the reports were saying Miami wasn’t willing to unload that and I’m saying how can that be you can’t do you can’t say you you can’t be the Miami Heat led by Pat Rally with Eric Spolster as your coach with Bam Adabio and Tyler Herro in your lineup and saying I don’t want to move off if I if you were him would you give up those assets and deplete your bench at all and do you think do you think that still lands you the best shot to win it highmith uh uh uh uh they they just didn’t value that’s what I’m saying do you even think that still wins it against Phoenix seven days a week twice on Sundays you would do it doesn’t mean you’re going to win it though

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Jay Williams, Markieff Morris and Brian Windhorst join Molly Qerim to discuss the blockbuster NBA trade that sent Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets, what’s at stake for KD on another new team and much more.

0:00 What’s at stake for Durant on another new team?
2:27 Stephen A. reacts
8:00 Did the Heat make a mistake by not trading for KD?
12:14 Windy’s thoughts

☑️ Subscribe to ESPN+: https://plus.espn.com/
📱 Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
🏀 Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2yxs3Og
☑️ Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE
☑️ Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV

#ESPN #NBA