Report: Expect Heat to make a run at Kevin Durant
The Miami Heat believe they can compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers and contend for a championship next season.
In reality, no one knows what to make of the Heat. Do they have the best starting lineup in the league? How deep is their bench in actuality? Can they defend at an above-average level? What's up with their shooting (or lack thereof)?
In the case that the Heat don't meet their expectations -- or even if they do -- they are going to enter the 2016 free agency derby with Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside off the books and important decisions to be made.
How much of a discount will Wade take, if any? How much will Whiteside be worth? Is he a one-hit wonder? A franchise cornerstone? Can the Heat even afford another star?
There will be plenty to figure out in the next 10 months, but according to Zach Lowe of Grantland, one should expect Pat Riley to throw his slicked-back hair in the ring for the Kevin Durant sweepstakes next summer:
"One star changes everything, and Riley gets stars. Next summer, Miami could open up nearly $40 million in cap room, and as much as $45 million if it moves McRoberts for extra cap space. That’s a ton, but if Whiteside has even a solid season, it’s not enough to bring back both Whiteside and Wade while signing an outside star; the Heat will not have full Bird rights on Whiteside, meaning they will have to dip into cap space to re-sign him.
"Consider one example: Durant’s max salary for 2016-17 will be about $25 million, leaving $15 million or $20 million to split between Wade and Whiteside. That won’t do it, unless Wade takes a massive hometown discount. (By the way: Rail against the Durant rumor mill if you want, but you’re kidding yourselves if you don’t think Riley will set Miami up to make a run at him.)"
The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar is going to be the most-coveted free agent since LeBron James in 2010, and you can bet the Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards will give the Thunder a run for their money (though, of course, the Thunder can offer Durant more).
While Durant has yet to verbally commit to OKC, he hasn't been expressing much interest in other teams, either. He's playing it safe, and the Thunder are almost certainly the frontrunners.
It's just that the same could have been said for James back in 2010 and we saw how that turned out. You can never count out Riles and the Heat.
(h/t Grantland)
