Dwyane Wade explains why the Heat didn't pull the trigger on Kevin Durant: "This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner"
Dwyane Wade explains why the Heat didn't pull the trigger on Kevin Durant: "This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Miami Heat have been in star-hunting mode ever since Jimmy Butler packed his bags for the Golden State Warriors following what felt like an endless standoff with management and, most importantly, with Pat Riley.
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The break-up with Butler left a giant hole in the franchise's identity, and as this offseason kicked off with fireworks all over the league, many thought South Beach would make its move, especially with Kevin Durant's name sitting on the trading block since February's trade deadline came and went without a deal. The table seemed set for the Heat to pounce. But, as it turned out, Riley and the front office didn't bite, as KD moved elsewhere.
The Heat didn't want to throw all their chips in
While there were plenty of reports suggesting that the Heat made a serious play for Durant, the details tell a different story. According to Shams Charania, Miami "turned down the opportunity to place Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick and other draft assets in a deal."
Simply put, the Heat weren't willing to mortgage the future, especially not when the price also meant matching salaries through players like Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier or Andrew Wiggins.
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That's where Dwyane Wade, the ultimate Heat legend and a guy who knows this organization inside and out, stepped in with his perspective. And Wade didn't sugarcoat it one bit.
"Man, the Heat have been trying to get KD for 10 years… So, do you want him, or do you not want him? So, right now, they just playing a couple games. This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner," the Hall of Fame guard analyzed.
Wade went deeper, pointing out that while Durant's talent is undeniable, Miami's front office wasn't just looking at the box score production.
"So, obviously, they didn't wanna give up what was offered for KD to come there. They look at age, they look at injury, they look at a lot of things. They don't just look at, that he is scoring 25 a game. They look at can this dude hold up if we cash these chips in? Maybe they didn't feel to he was wroth those chips in," Wade added.
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Related: "Unlike myself, he gets to join a team that's established right with HoF guys" - LeBron explains why Flagg is in an ideal position to immediately succeed
Miami won't be sleeping for very long
As the dust settled, it was the Houston Rockets who ended up pulling off the KD deal, shipping out Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick to land the former MVP. Meanwhile, Miami's front office kept its core pieces intact, even as frustration built among the fan base that they'd missed yet another shot at adding an elite superstar to the mix.
Yes, he might be nearing the end of his career, but Durant has made his name on being the ultimate plug-and-play player who can make any team into a top-tier championship contender overnight.
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"As a Heat fan, cause I'm a Heat fan, I gotta bite the pillow, too, and be mad. But also, I gotta understand that they know what they doing," D-Wade concluded.
Of course, knowing Riley and how this organization operates, the Heat aren't done...
With Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee still up in the air, don't be surprised if Miami's name pops up in those conversations sooner rather than later. The KD window may have closed, but in South Beach, another door is always just about to open.
Related: Adam Silver plans to use Artificial Intelligence after the NBA's injury surge: "Ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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