The Kevin Durant loony season has begun.
With the Oklahoma City Thunder star headed to free agency, it was only a matter of time before the wild free-agency rumors kicked up regardless of how his team performed in the playoffs.
Those Thunder are doing quite well, actually, but it hasn’t stopped the onslaught. Dan Le Batard of ESPN just dropped an interesting bombshell regarding the Miami Heat:
The plan is and always has been: Go after Durant and free everything up – so much so that you insulted your superstar this offseason by telling Dwyane Wade no on multiple years, even though that’s what he wanted. Dwyane, who deserves more of your allegiances as business and a company and management than Chris Bosh does. Because the whole thing is get in a room with Durant after this season.
Crazy? Maybe. But Le Batard took a stand:
You do what you want with the information. All I’m telling you is priority No. 1 is not get Dwyane locked up, Whiteside locked up. No. 1 on the list is can you get the superstar that is the big get in free agency while also taking care of your people around that?
Look, Miami will get in a room with Durant this summer. No shocker. But a lot of things have to happen for the pairing to actually happen. For one, the Heat have to convince Dwyane Wade to play good little soldier. It also means Hassan Whiteside probably takes a walk. And medical condition or not, Chris Bosh’s contract isn’t a good fit.
This summer wouldn’t be the first time Pat Riley and the Heat pull off a shocker. But other than some wild changes to the roster and checkbooks, Durant would also have to want to come to town. With the way the Thunder have played this postseason there’s no promise he even leaves. And if he does, teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers and any number of other locales could be in consideration.
The Heat are always around the big names. This summer will be no different, with Durant the ultimate prize worth blowing up a large portion of the current roster. If doing so means the Heat run the Eastern Conference, it’d be a great move in hindsight.
This is just the first of many Durant reports, though. Miami won’t be alone in this desire.