NBA fans could finally see LeBron James and Kevin Durant on the same NBA team, as the Miami Heat swoop in.
The Miami Heat are a team in a rebuilding phase. After Jimmy Butler’s acrimonious Heat departure, president Pat Riley knew they had to go in a different direction.
The Heat failed to land Kevin Durant despite their best efforts. And much like many of their negotiations, the Heat’s unwillingness to give up Kel’el Ware, among other young assets, cost them the trade.
While some believe that the Heat missing Durant is a good thing, as they are not ready to compete for an NBA championship yet, others disagree.
The Miami Heat must focus on developing young talent next season. But come 2026, the Heat have a chance to shock the NBA world.
And they could do so by redeeming the Kevin Durant situation, as the Houston Rockets have shocked fans with their latest stance on the superstar.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Houston Rockets are hesitant to offer Kevin Durant a max contract extension.
While MacMahon doesn’t rule out an eventual extension, he does think that the Rockets will try to get Durant at a cut price.
“The Rockets aren’t gonna go all-in, by all appearances, and by what I’ve heard, they’re not going all-in on an extension for Kevin Durant.
“Now, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but there’ve been rumblings KD’s not gonna push for the full max. I don’t know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that’s close to the max.”
If the Rockets won’t give Durant what he wants, perhaps another team, one with a lot of cap space could land him, along with another legendary superstar.
What if the Miami Heat just sign Kevin Durant as a free agent in 2026? We know that Pat Riley is targeting the stacked 2026 free agent class.
Landing Durant could be quite a coup. But the Heat are projected to have over $80 million in cap space, which means they could sign another big star.
Why can’t the Heat reunite with LeBron James? The Lakers plan on letting LeBron James walk in free agency next summer.
Miami is a premier destination for big-name free agents.
Given that the two stars are looking to close out their careers with another NBA championship, they could team together in Miami, where the Heat already have a strong base.
Pairing Durant and LeBron without giving up Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, or Kel’el Ware could create a championship five that could hang with the best in the East.
Will this move come to pass? It’s hard to tell. But the Heat have an opportunity to form one of the best tandems in NBA history, if they play their cards right.
