Inside The Heat

ESPN's Brian Windhorst Gives Two Factors Miami Heat Could Land Kevin Durant

Shandel Richardson|
Mar 30, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Mar 30, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

Many big-time players have joined the Miami Heat in the last 25 years. First, there was Shaquille O'Neal in 2004. Then LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010. Later, it was Goran Dragic and Jimmy Butler.

They all had the same reason for wanting to play for the Heat. Those same reasons may play a role in landing Kevin Durant this offseason. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst explained Thursday morning on "Get Up."

"I think he's got Miami on there because he's attracted by the city and Pat Riley," Windhorst said. "It's certainly not the team."

The Heat are in contention with the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves for Durant. The Rockets and Timberwolves are already championship-ready while the Spurs have the lure of Victor Wembanyama.

Playing with All-Stars Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo with the Heat is enticing but it will likely come down to if Durant wants to continue his career under Riley in the city of Miami.

A decision is expected some time before next week's draft.

"I had one team tell me today, it's kind of a game of chicken at this point," ESPN's Shams Charania said. "From the Rockets to the Heat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it's literally one or two pieces away, either which way, that can get a deal done. At the end of the day, one of these teams has to meet the threshold."

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here