Kevin Durant only wants to play for a Heat team that includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry?

But Heat players are said to be lobbying Tucker to remain with the team. Butler is very much hoping he re-signs with Miami. -via Miami Herald / June 30, 2022

There’s no indication that the Heat wants to move on from 36-year-old Kyle Lowry – who is very close with Jimmy Butler – but Pat Riley has said that Lowry needs to get in better shape. The Heat has assured Lowry that it has no intention of trading him for Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, according to a source briefed on the situation. We’re told that Lowry wasn’t upset when Riley said publicly that his conditioning must improve. -via Miami Herald / June 29, 2022

Any potential interest the Heat has in acquiring Irving, 30, will depend on what his price is on the trade market or in free agency. The belief is the Heat is not currently willing to give up its top assets to acquire Irving — a list that obviously includes Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, and also Tyler Herro. -via Miami Herald / June 27, 2022

All eyes are on Phoenix when it comes to Durant, the Nets star who is believed to be targeting the Suns as his preferred next destination. Yet while I wrote at length on Thursday about how a deal centered on restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton and small forward Mikal Bridges might work for both sides, the early sense is that it would take more than that. Or, to be clearer, something different. As the New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield pointed out in the wake of the Rudy Gobert-to-Minnesota blockbuster that went down on Friday, the Nets’ asking price for Durant — two All-Stars, as we’d been told — may have just gone up. There’s no way the Suns are trading Devin Booker, who just agreed to a four-year, $224 million extension. -via The Athletic / July 1, 2022

While we wait, let’s explore the more macro question: Why does Durant appear focused on Phoenix as the best place to continue his legendary career? There are likely a lot of factors in play here — the chance to contend again, the L.A.-adjacent locale, his relationship with Booker and respect for Chris Paul. But in terms of the personal dynamics, his close relationship with Suns coach Monty Williams may top the list. -via The Athletic / July 1, 2022

Oleh Kosel: Zach Lowe in reaction to Utah acquiring 5 first-rounders for Rudy Gobert on ESPN’s NBA Today show: “At this point, the only team that has enough picks to trade for Kevin Durant is Oklahoma City. I mean, what’s it going to take to get Kevin Durant? 12 first-round picks?” -via Twitter @OlehKosel / July 1, 2022

The Miami Heat are another one of Durant’s preferences. They will have no problem matching salaries for Durant assuming a combination of Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro, but they lack the draft equity other teams have to offer. They are limited to trading two first-round picks in 2027 (first available draft) and 2029. They could also include Nikola Jovic and some of their talented minimum role players. -via HoopsHype / June 30, 2022

A street in a North York neighbourhood will soon be named after a beloved former Toronto Raptor. Kyle Lowry Road will be one of the eight new streets at Don Mills Crossing, a 60-acre site near Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East, which is the future location of a community hub with new residential, office and retail buildings. -via CP24 / June 10, 2022

Duren has drawn comparisons to Bam Adebayo for their physical profiles, as Memphis Tigers assistant coach Larry Brown told the New York Post. “He’s a lottery talent,” one college coach, who also coached in the NBA, previously told HoopsHype. “No doubt about it. I’d be surprised If he gets past 10 or 12. That’s got to be his floor, in my opinion. Even if the center value is going down, if you can find one that can clean the glass and protect the rim, that’s valuable.” -via HoopsHype / June 18, 2022

How would you defend someone like Nikola Jokic? Williams: That’s probably one of the hardest guards in the league. [Laughs] But I would definitely pressure him because of how good he is at passing. That’s something we did at Arkansas. We tried to pressure guys who can make passes. I would try to push him out of his comfort zone in that mid-range and mid-post area, close to the 3-point area, so he can’t make those passes. The further you push him out, the longer the pass is going to be, and the further the offense gets pushed from the basket. If you pressure him and don’t let him get those easy passes and those easy things, it’s going to make the offense run slower, and you’re deeper from the goal. But I just really like challenges. I like playing against guys that are the top dogs. I like being the underdog. That’s always been my thing. I want to play against Jokic. I want to play against the Warriors and see how they run their offense and see how they move around so much. I want to play against Bam Adebayo and see how hard the Heat play on offense and on defense. Every team requires a different defensive concept. -via For The Win / June 16, 2022