Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry (Photo : Getty Images)
The Miami Heat are getting ready for a splashy free agency next year as the team is rumored to eye Golden State Warriors' star duo of Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry in the summer of 2017.
The Heat has slowly veered into rebuilding their franchise following the unexpected departures of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, which signified the end of the "Big-Three Era" in South Beach. With Hassan Whiteside the only player showing potential to become the Heat's star, the team is expected to pursue proven stars to help Miami afloat in the Eastern Conference.
However, the Heat do not have much assets to facilitate a trade that would bring them another All-Star to pair with Whiteside. But the Heat expected to clear Bosh's salary from their cap, the three-time NBA champs could attempt to land stars in next summer's free agency, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
"If Bosh is cleared from Miami's cap, which is now expected, the Heat will attempt to land a star from among Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin with its projected $42 million available," Jackson wrote.
The Heat have become an attractive destination for free agents, but may not be as alluring as they were when the trio of LeBron James, Wade and Bosh were still running the show in Miami. However, if Pat Riley could work out some of his magic, along with the projected cap space of $42 million, the Heat could immediately get back to contending for titles.
Durant, who is likely to explore free agency next year, has included the Heat as one of the teams he was looking to join in free agency. It was unclear whether Durant was really close to playing for the Heat, but his decision to include them in his list should still give Miami a chance to lure the four-time scoring champ into playing in South Beach.
Meanwhile, Curry, who is in the final year of his four-year $44 million deal with the Warriors, has already announced he would like to remain with the Warriors in the coming years, although it is still possible teams could pry him out of the Bay Area for the right price. The Warriors are projected to do stop at nothing to retain the two-time MVP, but the Heat could be one of the few teams ready to entice Curry in moving to the East.
After consulting the wise @LarryCoon, @espn's new latest estimate for the Steph Curry max next summer is a five-year, $165 million deal.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) September 28, 2016
It is still unclear whether the Heat are really interested in pursuing Curry or Durant, who both could instantly turn the Heat into legit title contenders. However, any chances of acquiring either one of them will depend on the Warriors' success this season.
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