Heat going all-in to trade for Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell

The perpetually title-or-bust Heat, not surprisingly, are all-in on scouring the league to try to manufacture extra first-round picks to boost their chances of completing a trade for Kevin Durant or Utah’s Donovan Mitchell. But more teams than not are asking themselves this question: If we trade for Durant, how long before he wants to go somewhere else?
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Now on @njdotcom
Brooklyn Nets stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving ‘know’ a trade is ‘unlikely to happen,’ league source says nj.com/nets/2022/07/b… – 7:20 PM Shandel Richardson @ShandelRich
Do the Wizards even have a chance at Durant? si.com/nba/heat/.amp/… – 7:08 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
After last year’s endless flood of meetings at LeBron’s house I demand to know who else he and AD have talked to on the phone. Show me the Donovan Mitchell call logs you cowards. – 7:04 PM Ric Bucher @RicBucher
Why Rudy Gobert Got Traded, Why KD Hasn’t shows.acast.com/bucher-and-fri… via @acast – 6:50 PM Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
With Heat to this point reluctant to give up Bam (who turns 25 today) in a Durant trade, exploring the issue, with scouts weighing in: miamiherald.com/sports/spt-col… – 5:46 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Kevin Durant most PPG against a team:
32.0 vs Thunder
29.9 vs Warriors pic.twitter.com/4BG1xS57Gq – 5:34 PM Shandel Richardson @ShandelRich
Still no movement on Kevin Durant situation #miamiheat si.com/nba/heat/miami… – 4:20 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: Jazz talked Donovan Mitchell trades before dealing Rudy Gobert nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/18/rep… – 4:00 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
Kevin Durant stuck (for now) in Brooklyn? Now why is that?
My latest around-the-league notes compilation freshly dispatched worldwide explores: marcstein.substack.com/p/kd-stuck-in-… – 3:00 PM Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
NEW: Should the Heat offer Bam in a trade for Durant, if the arcane rule preventing Simmons & Bam from both being on the Nets can be navigated? I spoke to 2 scouts who feel strongly about this. And where things stand: miamiherald.com/sports/spt-col… – 12:59 PM Ian Begley @IanBegley
From earlier: my read on where Donovan Mitchell/NYK talks stood heading into the weekend (don’t think much has changed), including Jazz asking for package including RJ Barrett in earlier discussions with NYK, Knicks’ desire to land Mitchell & MIA looming: sny.tv/articles/donov… – 12:05 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
7 PM ET tonight via @SpotifyLive: Blockbuster chat w/ @Tony Jones from the heart of the Donovan Mitchell trade chase to catch up on ALL the latest … plus some surprising Vegas scuttle about Tony’s own game. Join us: spotifylive.link/steinlinelive
More NBA: marcstein.substack.com – 11:57 AM Krishna Narsu @knarsu3
Wonder if KD’s value is a lot lower among the league than the general media thinks (which is why the offers seem to stink). He’s played 90 games out of 154 over the last 2 seasons (just above 50%), is going to be 34 and is coming off a really bad playoff series vs. Boston. – 11:19 AM Aaron Rose @AaronBenRose
Where do you think Kevin Durant will start the season next year 🤔 – 11:13 AM Get Up @GetUpESPN
“The Nets are still trying to find a deal for Kevin Durant.”
—@Adrian Wojnarowski pic.twitter.com/HjdpkIlIsh – 9:43 AM StatMuse @statmuse
Most 40-point games by active players:
101 — James Harden
69 — LeBron James
62 — Kevin Durant
52 — Steph Curry
50 — Russell Westbrook pic.twitter.com/9GysjsABTQ – 9:27 AM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
About to do @Get Up for the next two hours to talk about LeBron, KD, Donovan Mitchell and more. – 8:00 AM Steve Popper @StevePopper
Knicks Sunday column: Donovan Mitchell certainly would help Knicks, but is now the time to pay the cost? newsday.com/sports/columni… via @Newsday – 10:14 AM Steve Popper @StevePopper
And how’s this for timing…Donovan Mitchell thrills Cyclones’ crowd at Coney Island newsday.com/sports/basketb… via @Newsday – 7:47 PM Steve Popper @StevePopper
Knicks Sunday column: Donovan Mitchell certainly would help Knicks, but cost may be too high newsday.com/sports/columni… via @Newsday – 7:47 PM Fred Katz @FredKatz
Donovan Mitchell just threw out the first pitch at the Brooklyn Cyclones game and this young fan has been yelling at him to come to the Knicks ever since Mitchell walked onto the field: pic.twitter.com/967DKwOnWU – 5:53 PM Fred Katz @FredKatz
The Brooklyn Cyclones have welcomed in a left-handed line-drive hitter for the day: Donovan Mitchell, who’s throwing out the first pitch before the Mets’ high-A affiliate plays tonight.
Here he is taking batting practice: pic.twitter.com/JGiHsr2UKt – 4:07 PM Sarah Todd @NBASarah
Jazz Insiders newsletter: A Donovan Mitchell trade could change the way we view Summer League https://t.co/HZ7tgaSyCL pic.twitter.com/0uEILPRl5c – 12:16 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
What team would Donovan Mitchell be headed to if he made it clear he would be equally happy to play for any team except Utah? – 12:04 PM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Now on @njdotcom
NBA rumors: NBA insiders say Donovan Mitchell will ‘most likely’ land with the Knicks, but it may take a ‘historic haul’ nj.com/knicks/2022/07… – 11:49 AM Zach Lowe @ZachLowe_NBA
ICYMI Friday: Lowe Post podcast: @Tim MacMahon on the Donovan Mitchell trade landscape (hi, Knicks!), then @Kevin Pelton and react to the Ayton offer sheet drama — plus the impact of both on the KD landscape:
Spotify: spoti.fi/3PbDJNc
Apple: apple.co/3APmugc – 11:04 AM Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
From PM: Readers asked if Donovan Mitchell is really THAT much better than Tyler Herro, enough to justify giving away three 1st rounders, Herro and more. We explore: miamiherald.com/sports/spt-col… – 10:10 AM Ian Begley @IanBegley
From earlier: my read on where the Donovan Mitchell/Knicks talks stand heading into the weekend, including Jazz asking for a package including RJ Barrett earlier in their discussions with NYK, Knicks’ desire to land Mitchell & MIA looming: sny.tv/articles/donov… – 9:50 AM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
How many of these things will happen before the start of the season?
KD out of Brooklyn
Donovan Mitchell in New York
Kyrie Irving with Lakers – 4:40 AM Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
The Knicks are going to run Grimes & McBride 35 minutes in the Summer League championship game on Sunday with the Donovan Mitchell trade still in limbo arent they – 2:20 AM Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
Donovan Mitchell is nowhere near good enough to give up six 1st round picks for.
Especially when then paired with another undersized guard.
Knicks are best case a poor man’s east coast Dame/CJ Blazers.
With no outs to get better.
Knicks gonna Knick. – 7:54 PM Andy Larsen @andyblarsen
The promised mailbag on the Donovan Mitchell situation:
When will a deal get done? What will the Jazz do next? What does Donovan’s “camp” want?
sltrib.com/sports/jazz/20… – 7:39 PM Bill Simmons @BillSimmons
But seriously… should the Knicks go all-in for Donovan Mitchell? pic.twitter.com/mZjgmdLFPR – 7:16 PM NBA Math @NBA_Math
🗣NEW @HardwoodKnocks
🔘 Deandre Ayton (2:02)
🔘 Durant, Suns, Heat, Raptors, Other teams (9:36)
🔘 Non-KD trades for Suns (24:51)
🔘 Pacers future (33:11)
🔘 Donovan Mitchell, RJ Barrett (48:28)
🎧 https://t.co/Im2urv9p2d
🍎 https://t.co/H0RrcbkgC3
https://t.co/VUiiR32SEn pic.twitter.com/5gBkzxKWvr – 6:46 PM Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
The Donovan Mitchell hypothetical trades looking more and more like the Kevin Durant value trade rumors
No wonder there’s a laser focus on KD at the top of the list, aside from the obvious skill gap – 6:39 PM

More on this storyline

The Brooklyn Nets spent half of the just-completed Las Vegas Summer League signaling to rival teams that they are prepared to keep Durant on the roster for the start of next season in spite of his recent trade request because they don’t like the offers coming in for him. If a trade does materialize for Durant this offseason, according to one source with knowledge of Brooklyn’s thinking, we should expect it to move “slow.” -via marcstein.substack.com / July 18, 2022 The persistent scuttle around the league, though, is that clubs interested in Durant mostly fear their ability to keep him content more than they feel any concern about his advancing age. “If the Nets can’t keep him happy, after everything they’ve given him, how are we supposed to?” one Western Conference team official told me. -via marcstein.substack.com / July 18, 2022 The Lakers’ preferred scenario, to be clear, is still trading for Irving, but the Nets A) appear focused on nailing down a Durant trade before pressing for Irving’s exit and B) have expressed great reluctance regarding any trade with the Lakers that doesn’t involve a third team willing to take on Westbrook’s contract (which Brooklyn does not want). -via marcstein.substack.com / July 18, 2022 One league source advised me in Las Vegas to keep an eye on the Knicks and Lakers discussing a potential Westbrook deal if — IF — Leon Rose can successfully bring Donovan Mitchell to Madison Square Garden. The source’s thinking: After adding Mitchell, New York would be expected to explore scenarios to trade away Julius Randle. And Randle, just one season removed from his breakthrough to All-Star and All-NBA status, is presumably the sort of player that the Lakers would have to consider taking on if — IF — they are unable to use Westbrook’s $47.1 million expiring contract in a trade for Kyrie Irving. -via marcstein.substack.com / July 18, 2022 “I think the Knicks and the Jazz will reengage here at some point. Maybe it’s this week. Maybe it’s next week. Maybe it’s in two or three weeks. The Jazz are not necessarily going to move quickly. The Rudy Gobert talks… that was over a period of time this summer and once Minnesota stepped up with the package they did, that was an easy deal for the Jazz to do. -via RealGM / July 18, 2022 “New York is motivated. They’re motivated to get Donovan Mitchell, but I think they’re also motivated to not just give up everything to get him. They’ve got four of their own unprotected first round picks. Now, people talk about seven or eight picks. I think a lot of those picks are conditional protected picks that are coming from places like Detroit and Washington. I don’t think the Jazz value those the way they do New York’s unprotected picks.” -via RealGM / July 18, 2022