Last season’s trade deadline in February was one of the most intense in recent memory. Jimmy Butler was putting huge pressure on the Miami Heat, wanting to leave the team, while at the same time, rumours grew stronger that Kevin Durant was done with the Phoenix Suns after a disastrous season.
At one point, many media outlets started writing that a trade between the two superstars was almost a done deal. However, Jimmy ended up with the Golden State Warriors while KD stayed in Arizona, where the team failed even to reach the Play-In tournament.
Advertisement
Heat forward Nikola Jovic confirmed the behind-the-scenes truth about those rumours on the Swishcast podcast.
“It was strange,” Jovic said. “Rumors started, you don’t know who to trust. I didn’t believe the media, but I was in contact with my agents, and they told me there was a possibility of a trade. They told me those weren’t fake rumors, that teams were involved and of course I didn’t feel great about it.”
“We’re talking about one of the greatest players ever, Kevin Durant. No one from the organization ever approached me and said it was true. It came out somewhere on Instagram, and later, no one explained to me why I wasn’t traded. I guess that’s normal in the NBA. There definitely was a possibility, but in the end, it didn’t happen, and of course I’m glad,” the prolific forward added.
Advertisement
Pat Riley was considering a move for Durant
Although nothing was ever made official by either team or the players involved, it’s clear Jovic received a silent word that Pat Riley, who was aware that he couldn’t keep going with Butler and considered a big-time move for Durant. As one of the Heat’s young and rising stars, Jovic would almost certainly have been part of the package.
Given Jovic and Butler’s close bond, it’s likely Jimmy wanted the young Serbian with him to ease his transition and keep mentoring him.
Advertisement
Later, there was even speculation about Durant reuniting with the Warriors, but to everyone’s surprise, he stayed in Phoenix through the struggles instead of leaving.
Jovic confirmed the business side of the NBA
Durant, who has a firm reputation for being someone who is not afraid to jump off the boat and switch teams whenever things go south, this time pushed himself as a true team leader by not abandoning his squad, even though by midseason, he probably felt this team had no legitimate championship potential. And let’s be honest, at this point in his career, that’s all that really matters to him.
Advertisement
As for Jovic, he simply confirmed the “notorious” stories about the business side of the NBA. At the end of the day, he never got official confirmation from anyone in the organization that they were considering trading him away, as his agent was the one who informed him while everything was still happening, leaving him both surprised and frustrated by the silence. But that’s what living inside the world of the best basketball league in the world sometimes feels like.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.