Kevin Durant (Photo : Twitter)
Without any doubt, Kevin Durant is the biggest free agent name in the summer of 2016, and an opportunistic team like the Miami Heat will be at the forefront of his pursuit.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will probably be the most-watched team of the NBA in the 2015-16 season. They missed the playoffs in 2015 with an injured Kevin Durant so there is a question of how well they will recover.
The other reason why the Thunder will be under heavy scrutiny is the impending free agency of Kevin Durant.
Since LeBron James won his first title in 2012 (at the expense of the OKC Thunder), Durant has taken on the "most talented player without a ring" mantle, and it has hounded him every season. If the Thunder can't do it this season, the impression is that they probably never will-or that Durant would have better chances to do it with another team.
The Heat had one of their best off-seasons to date since "The Decision" in 2010. They locked up an all-NBA point guard and scored well in the draft (Justise Winslow at no.10). Their next move is to lock up Hassan Whiteside, something at the top of Pat Riley's agenda.
However, ESPN points out that the Heat need "cap gymnastics" to take Durant because of the huge, long-term contracts of Dragic and Chris Bosh, not to mention Dwyane Wade's contract also expiring.
History has told us not to bet against winners like Pat Riley, who has succeeded at every level in the NBA. Wade's contract is only for one season at $20 million, possibly overvalued, but that's part of the scheme as pointed out by the Miami Herald.
"The Heat seems to want Wade to opt into his contract for next season at $16 million, then become a free agent and leave their and his future blank-check open. This will give the Heat the flexibility it craves to make a run at a player like Kevin Durant.
Pipe dream? Maybe."
But that's what happened. Wade opted out, but signed a one-year deal worth $20 million-an amount Wade would probably not get elsewhere. This might be a ploy for Miami-a loyalty reward to consider when they ask Wade to take a pay cut in the future and form a fearsome first five-Dragic, Wade, Durant, Bosh and Whiteside.
It all hinges on Riley and Wade pulling the right strings. Durant has a strong Thunder team, but the West is just too competitive. If he fails to bring the Thunder over teams like the Warriors or Spurs again, he may consider the easier path that LeBron always took in the East.
Perhaps it's time for Pat Riley to lay out his rings again.
