Kevin Durant is now officially a Houston Rockets player. But as his trade drama unfolded, Durant had a lot of suitors. And one team that showed a lot of interest was the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, despite Heat’s best efforts, the deal did not go through. And reflecting on the scenario, Dwyane Wade stated that he knew Durant would skip the Heat. The reason? Well, LeBron James.
In a recent interaction, Wade deep-dived into the Kevin Durant-Miami Heat trade deal. Wade stated that Durant would never go to Miami. This is for a simple reason: LeBron James was part of the franchise, and Durant was not ready to follow King James. Even though James played for the franchise 10 years ago, his impact still lingers.
“LeBron went to Miami, he’s not going to Miami. I said this 10 years ago when the Heat were trying to get him then, and UD talked about this on one of his shows as well. He’s not following LeBron. I know he wasn’t coming to Miami. Why are we recruiting somebody who’s not following LeBron? Why would he do that? LeBron leaves, and KD comes here to do what? I didn’t like it 10 years ago, and I didn’t like it when I heard it recently,” said Wade.
Despite the mutual respect, Durant and James have always been the biggest rivals. Unfortunately for KD, he always came in behind King James. Even his consecutive titles with the Golden State Warriors failed to push him above James. Thus, it only makes sense that Durant will not follow his lead. And this might have been the reason why the Suns rejected a massive trade offer from the Heat.
Phoenix Suns Rejected A Lucrative Trade Offer From Miami Heat
Haywood Highsmith, Andrew Wiggins, Jamie Jaquez Jr., and Terry Rozier were the confirmed athletes from the Miami Heat that the Phoenix Suns would have received. And that’s not all. They would have also received the 20th overall pick in the NBA draft. In exchange? The Heat wanted Kevin Durant.
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The Phoenix Suns reportedly REJECTED the following trade before moving Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets 👀
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) June 23, 2025
PHX receive: Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Haywood Highsmith, Jamie Jaquez Jr, and the 20th pick in the 2025 NBA draft
MIA receive: Kevin Durant pic.twitter.com/UnsgdGyO22
Surprisingly, the Suns turned down the massive trade. They cited that the package did not align with their requirements. Thus, they went for the Houston Rockets instead. Surely, with the Kevin Durant trade saga making ripples, it now remains to be seen what happens next.
Also Read: BREAKING: Phoenix Suns Trade Kevin Durant In Absolute Shocking Blockbuster
