Pat Riley didn't want to trade Haywood Highsmith for KD

[XTC]

Lmaooooo

Discuss. I have no idea what Pat is doing anymore. I get not wanting to bleed assets, but you gotta give a LITTLE, or you gotta choose a path (compete or rebuild).

[reload141]

He’s washed.

[bonita_the_frog]

Riley probably got tricked into thinking Durant was just another 37-year-old...
Durant is scoring more efficiently now than ever before AND 1.2 blocks per game
He'll still be scoring 25+ppg when he's 40, and even if he gets injured, you've seen how great he is after the most serious injury!
Durant 3-pointer shooting:
Phoenix .427
Brooklyn .400
Golden State .384
Oklahoma City .380
Your hands can't reach what your eyes can't see, Tall like a dinosaur shoot from a tree!

[Rapaz]

Live look-in at Pat Riley:



Washed AF.

[ciueli]

They're saving up for Giannis when he becomes available in a year. Their offer would be built around Bam + young guys + picks and they can't do that if they blow it all on KD now.

[Teen Girl Squad]

Riley was bargain shopping, hoping to nab Durant for cheap (his market wasn't that large). I'm sure there were half a dozen other offers of a similar vein that aren't being reported from other teams. The Heat are not in a position to consolidate assets for 37 year old Durant unless they simply want to lock in a first round series appearance.

[meekrab]

Maybe he just didn't want a whiny $54 million diva on his squad and came up with an excuse.

[kg01]

They've been filming a sequel to Weekend at Bernies in Miami for a long time.

[Dan Z]

Is there any truth to this? Seems like a random rumor.

It's possible that he didn't want to give up much for a 37 year old Durant who will be up for a contract extension, but i doubt Highsmith stopped them from making a deal.

[mg]

My guess is they didn't want to give KD an extension at his age just like they really didn't want Dame and his contract two years ago. Riley would likely prefer to set the Heat up for long term future success before he finally retires into the sunset. KD would only be a short term band aid.

[bisme37]

Is there any truth to this? Seems like a random rumor.

It's possible that he didn't want to give up much for a 37 year old Durant who will be up for a contract extension, but i doubt Highsmith stopped them from making a deal.

This is all I've seen about it, but it says it's based on a report from Shams. He must have said something about it on ESPN today. There is more to the report than just Highsmith though.

Read on Twitter

[SA37]

I would imagine Riley and Miami's FO felt Durant's value would be similar to what Miami fetched for Butler. As a reminder, Golden State traded Wiggins, Schroder, Anderson, and a top-10 protected pick for Butler.

My guess is Riley probably offered some version of the following 2 deals:

Rozier, Robinson, Anderson, and #20

or

Wiggins, Rozier, Anderson, and #20

While RealGMers will see Rozier and Robinson as just expirings, Riley has a history of overvaluing and getting attached to his own players. It is likely he viewed both of those players as legit starters. So from Miami's (skewed) vantage point, they were offering 3 starters/2 starters and a rotation player for Durant.

Miami may have sweetened this offer slightly with Jaquez or a future 1st swap, but I have a feeling Riley wouldn't budge from something along these lines.

[Snakebites]

KD/Bam/Herro isn’t a title core.

I don’t actually blame him here. The deal makes a lot more sense for Houston- they are more asset wealthy and closer to contention, but I think MOST teams shouldn’t be giving up significant future assets to get KD at this stage.

[shangrila]

Is there any truth to this? Seems like a random rumor.

It's possible that he didn't want to give up much for a 37 year old Durant who will be up for a contract extension, but i doubt Highsmith stopped them from making a deal.

This is all I've seen about it, but it says it's based on a report from Shams. He must have said something about it on ESPN today. There is more to the report than just Highsmith though.

Read on Twitter

Yeah, this seems like intentional wording to get clicks. Which if it wasn't obvious before, should have become obvious to everyone when the Bane trade was reported as 4 unprotected picks...with one of them being the 16th pick from the draft next week. Technically correct but intentionally clickbaiting.

I don't blame them for not wanting to empty the cupboard for Durant. If Highsmith specifically was the breaking point and they turned the deal down then that would be foolish, but if it was more along the lines of "here's what we're willing to offer and nothing more" then I don't see a problem with that.

[Dan Z]

Is there any truth to this? Seems like a random rumor.

It's possible that he didn't want to give up much for a 37 year old Durant who will be up for a contract extension, but i doubt Highsmith stopped them from making a deal.

This is all I've seen about it, but it says it's based on a report from Shams. He must have said something about it on ESPN today. There is more to the report than just Highsmith though.

Read on Twitter

Yeah, this seems like intentional wording to get clicks. Which if it wasn't obvious before, should have become obvious to everyone when the Bane trade was reported as 4 unprotected picks...with one of them being the 16th pick from the draft next week. Technically correct but intentionally clickbaiting.

I don't blame them for not wanting to empty the cupboard for Durant. If Highsmith specifically was the breaking point and they turned the deal down then that would be foolish, but if it was more along the lines of "here's what we're willing to offer and nothing more" then I don't see a problem with that.

I doubt that Highsmith was the sticking point. Its more likely that Riley didn't want to give up much for Durant. I can understand that.

[Dupp]

Who?

[SA37]

KD/Bam/Herro isn’t a title core.

I don’t actually blame him here. The deal makes a lot more sense for Houston- they are more asset wealthy and closer to contention, but I think MOST teams shouldn’t be giving up significant future assets to get KD at this stage.

I don't think anyone thought Haliburton/Siakam/Turner was a title core either. How many people had Butler/Bam/Herro as a title core? And yet they made 2 Finals and were a Butler 3 from potentially going to a 3rd.

A lot would have depended on what Miami sent out and who Miami might have signed, but with Tatum out most of next year, the East doesn't have a clear team that would have been better than Miami.

[NoBias]

Him and Morey are both washed

[FarBeyondDriven]

yes, the man that put together the Heat teams that have reached the playoffs six years in a row, reached the ECF three times and made the Finals twice (Jimmy 3pt away from another) in those six years is totally washed guys. Any more great takes?

[DirtyDez]

So they wouldn’t do the deal despite keeping Ware?