With the Kevin Durant sweepstakes running all summer, Miami kept showing up near the front of the list but never closed the deal, and that chatter grew louder as teams sized up how much the Suns wanted in return. Reports flagged Miami as a viable suitor while also noting the Heat were reluctant to include cornerstone pieces in any package, which limited their flexibility and made any KD move to South Beach complicated. This was despite the fact that KD himself shortlisted the Heat alongside the Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs as his three preferred destinations.

And while the move not materializing has been attributed to Miami’s refusal to include high-value pieces such as young stars Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic, a former Miami Heat player believes LeBron James himself played a part. I

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