Wade reveals the truth that Durant does not join the Heat and does not want to follow James s footsteps

Kevin Durant was recently traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets. The Rockets used an 8-for-1 deal to win a super scorer who averaged 26 points per game in the 2024-25 season. Although Kevin Durant will be 37 years old when entering the 2025-26 season, the playoff teams are eager to win him for a scoring killer like Kevin Durant.

It is reported that the Miami Heat are also interested in Kevin Durant. After the Miami Heat had a fierce head-on conflict with Jimmy Butler in the middle of the 2024-25 season, they wanted to trade Jimmy Butler in exchange for Kevin Durant. Unfortunately, Kevin Durant rejected the team's mid-season trading operation.

After entering the 2025 offseason, Kevin Durant is still one of the stars Miami Heat wants to pursue most. Kevin Durant also hinted that he may play for the Miami Heat. However, he joined the Houston Rockets in the end.

Recently, Wade talked about why there were so many trading rumors in Kevin Durant's career, especially about his joining the Miami Heat, but in the end he still did not join the Heat. Wade said this was not Kevin's intention, he just didn't want to go the path LeBron James had taken.

Wade said "LeBron went to Miami, he wouldn't go to Miami. I said this 10 years ago when the Heat tried to get him, and KD also talked about it on one of his shows. He didn't follow LeBron, I know he wouldn't come to Miami. Why are we recruiting someone who doesn't follow LeBron? Why do he do that? LeBron is gone, what does KD come here to do? 10 years ago I don't like it, I don't like it lately. I'm glad KD is in Houston and he's not in Miami because that's not the truth... I don't want to be the old guys who can't come back to celebrate... Heat, cheer up." In 2010, Pat Riley lobbied Chris Bosh and LeBron James to join Miami Heat partner Wade to build a super team with the championship. After LeBron James joined the Miami Heat, they entered the finals four times and won two championships.

After the 2014 Finals, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kevin Durant has been one of LeBron James' strongest competitors throughout his career. However, in 2016, Kevin Durant chose to surrender to the Golden State Warriors in order to win the championship. And in the 2017 and 2018 finals, he defeated LeBron James in succession, winning the championship and the finals MVP.

Although Kevin Durant is not as great and successful as LeBron James, his strength is not as bad as the outside world imagines. At his peak, he was a superstar who could compete with LeBron and James, which was something Stephen Curry could not do.

In fact, Kevin Durant does not join the Miami Heat, the right choice. First, joining the Miami Heat, he is often compared to LeBron James. Also, his tactical system and team culture with the Miami Heat are not very suitable. The Heat need a great spiritual leader, and Kevin Durant doesn't have that.