NBA Rumors: 5 reasons Kevin Durant signs with the Miami Heat

By John Buhler | Jun 27, 2016

Jan 17, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow (20) pursued Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) around a screen set by Oklahoma City center Steven Adams (12) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

3 of 6

Jun 15, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) during the first quarter in game five of the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Won’t be hated for the move to Miami

If Durant has his mind made up about leaving Oklahoma City for another franchise in 2016 NBA free agency, he’ll have to keep in mind that he will receive backlash from spurning the Thunder to sign elsewhere.

While he’s not going to get a pat on the back like he does in Oklahoma City if he does decide to skip town, Durant might want to minimize the damage he’ll cause to his brand by relocating. For a few reasons, joining the Heat is one of the few free agent destinations for him that he can contend for a championship with, but not be horrendously chastised for signing with Miami.

Even if he does receive hate for going to the Heat, there is simply no way that he’ll be as ridiculed as James was for taking his talents to South Beach. Fans of Durant’s will eventually come around to the idea of him playing for the Heat.

He’d be making a good decision to go to the Eastern Conference, learn from a future Hall of Famer in Dwyane Wade on what it takes to win an NBA Championship, and have a nice supporting staff in the front office of Pat Riley and Micky Arison. Taking aside personal biases about him leaving the Thunder, it’s not a bad potential landing spot for him in Miami.

Next: 3. Dwyane Wade.

Home/Miami Heat