This NBA offseason has been a dud thus far for the Miami Heat. They have suffered a major blow to their rotation as P.J. Tucker declined his player option and then left in free agency, signing with their budding rivals in the Philadelphia 76ers.

Replacing Tucker will not be easy, as there isn’t a player currently on the roster equipt to do it. Lacking cap space, free agency wasn’t a viable avenue for the team, either. The trade market is the only place they can find an upgrade, but even that is gridlocked at the moment.

The Heat aren’t going to make any moves right now as they are waiting out the situations with the Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz. Both teams are working on trades for superstar players, as Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Nets and the Jazz are entering a rebuild, so they are taking calls on Donovan Mitchell.

Both players have been linked to the Heat. Miami is on Durant’s list of preferred landing spots and the same can be said about Mitchell’s that leaked during the season. However, Miami has set its sights clearly on Durant according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

“The Miami Heat remain focused on acquiring one of those aforementioned All-Stars, and multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told B/R that Miami has prioritized pursuing Durant over Mitchell.”

That isn’t too surprising as Durant could hypothetically be slid right into the forward spot vacated by Tucker. Fitting Mitchell into the lineup could present a few more difficulties, especially depending on who is part of the trade.

LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Miami Heat Haven’t Ruled Out Trade For This Controversial Superstar

The package that Miami can offer is also one that the Nets would have more interest in than the Jazz. Utah is entering a rebuild and is focused on obtaining draft picks and players on either their rookie or team-friendly deals. The Heat can offer none of that.

Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, along with their available draft picks, have been the rumored package. But it will certainly take a lot more than that to land either Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell, as other teams around the league can present much stronger packages.

 

Miami could have to recruit a third or fourth team into the negotiations to help bridge the gap between what they can offer and what the Nets are looking for in return for Durant.

Adding a player such as Kyle Lowry to help match salary doesn’t make it any more attractive of a package as Lowry struggled to stay healthy during his first season in South Beach.