ASK IRA: Heat wouldn’t/shouldn’t dare another run at Kevin Durant, right?

TL;DR

Kevin Durant has one year left on his contract with a player option for $46.1 million. The Miami Heat are advised against pursuing him again, given past attempts and the potential cost of a one-year rental.

Key points

Kevin Durant has one year left on his contract.
His player option is worth $46.1 million for next season.
The Miami Heat are advised against pursuing him again.
Durant played 78 games last season, finishing second in total minutes.
His playoff absence may impact his trade value.

Miami HeatCharlotte HornetsLakersWarriors

Q: Ira, please hand me the mic so I can address Heat Nation: Don’t go after Kevin Durant again. Thank you. – Wallace.

A: Which, assuredly, will again become a talking point, considering Kevin Durant’s absence as the Rockets fell in the opening round to the Lakers. For now, the need to know is that Durant has one year remaining on his contract, as a player option for $46.1 million for next season. One one hand, the playoff absence won’t help any leverage. On the other, even as he is about to turn 38 in September, he did appear in 78 regular-season games this past season (finishing No. 2 in the league in total minutes), so it’s not as if the injury concerns were in any way chronic. But, yes, after those countless Heat pursuits over the years, be it when Durant was with the Thunder, Warriors, Nets or Suns, this might be the point where another direction would be the preferable approach. In theory, taking on Durant in the final season of his contract would not impact the Heat’s potential 2027 cap space. On the other hand, exactly how many assets should a team send out for what would be a potential one-year rental?

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Q: Hey Ira, sorry if this has already been covered, but my question regarding the Terry Rozier trade is this: How do the rest of the league owners feel about the Charlotte Hornets holding back information in a trade? Did Pat Riley or the NBA Commissioner address this? It seems there should be penalties applied to the Hornets for not being 100% transparent in the transaction and more tangible benefits for the . Or is this commonplace in NBA transactions? Perhaps the rest of the league owners are now wary about dealing with the Hornets. – David, Venice.

Q&A

What is Kevin Durant's current contract situation?

Kevin Durant has one year remaining on his contract with a player option worth $46.1 million for the next season.

Why should the Miami Heat avoid pursuing Kevin Durant again?

The Miami Heat are advised to avoid pursuing Durant again due to the high cost of assets for a potential one-year rental and past unsuccessful attempts.

How did Kevin Durant perform in the last NBA season?

Kevin Durant played in 78 regular-season games last season and finished second in the league for total minutes, indicating he was not plagued by chronic injuries.

What are the implications of Durant's playoff absence for his trade value?

Durant's absence in the playoffs may diminish his leverage in negotiations, making a trade less appealing for teams like the Heat.