The Miami Heat were the other team negotiating alongside the Houston Rockets to acquire Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. Talks accelerated over the final 24 hours before the Sunday afternoon trade of Durant to the Rockets.
“From Miami’s end, they would have had to give up either Kel’el Ware or a combination of several different players,” said Shams Charania on the Pat McAfee Show. “Jaime Jacquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 overall pick, and a potential pick swap. All of those things needed to be in the deal for Miami unless they were going to give up Kel’el Ware, which they weren’t going to do. He is their young prized prospect after a great rookie year. They did not want to trade him. Essentially, he was left off the table in conversation. That was a non-starter for them.
“From Phoenix’s side it was ‘what else could they get?’ The Heat decided they were not going to go to that length with all those pieces to get a deal done. Maybe they’ll do a couple of them. At different points Jaime Jacquez was discussed. Nikola Jovic was discussed. The No. 20 pick was discussed. The pick swap was discussed. Haywood Highsmith was discussed. But not all of them in entirely. Maybe two or four, or three of five. So it was never concrete there.”
The Suns preferred the Houston package, most notably the No. 10 pick in the draft this week.