The Kevin Durant rumors will not stop. The Oklahoma City Thunder star has simply he said he has no plans on thinking about free agency until the end of the season and yet everyone wants to speculate where he could possibly be heading. The Washington Wizards are already considered a "frontrunner" if there is one in this situation, but the Miami Heat are not looking to be left out of the race. However, could it cost them current players?
According to the Miami Herald, Pat Riley and company intend to make a run for Durant in the 2016 offseason, but it could mean someone does not return. The Heat have contract issues coming up and a high-priced deal for Durant will not help. According to the Herald, in order for the Heat to sign Durant, they must either pass on Hassan Whiteside, trade Josh McRoberts or get someone to agree to a hometown discount. That is going to be tough to do.
Whiteside is setting himself up for a big pay day in free agency. The Heat would have to get the big man to agree on a deal that would likely fall south of $10 million per year. The chances of Whiteside being thrilled about that idea are slim. The same can be said for Dwyane Wade who is playing on a one-year deal with the promise of a pay raise in his next contract. The Heat could not re-sign Whiteside and Wade while also getting Durant. Wade would likely have to sign another one-year deal with the guarantee that the Heat would really take care of him when the cap increases once again. Miami may want in on the Durant race, but it will come with a heavy price.
For the short-term, the Heat continue to explore trade options following the deal that sent Mario Chalmers to the Memphis Grizzlies. ESPN's Marc Stein reports that everyone from Chris Andersen to Amar'e Stoudemire and the newly acquired Ben Udrih are available in deals as the Heat aim to lower their luxury tax issues. The Heat have a roster that can contend in the East thanks to young talent like Justise Winslow and Tyler Johnson. Dumping some unneeded depth certainly will not hurt the progress.
