The ideal offseason trade target for the Heat shockingly isn't Kevin Durant

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

There was a time in the not-so-distant past in which it seemed Kevin Durant was the perfect star addition to turn the Miami Heat into full-fledged NBA contenders.

That's no longer the case in 2025, despite all of the Durant-to-South-Beach buzz around the basketball world. If the Heat make a blockbuster trade this summer, they need someone who offers more reliability than Durant can offer as a 36-year-old (37 in September) who's had some bouts with the injury bug of late and is approaching the final season on his contract.

Miami needs Derrick White. And based on the latest trade talks, that's not necessarily an impossible wish.

While the Boston Celtics would prefer to keep White out of their cost-cutting process, teams are inquiring about his availability, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on the Pat McAfee Show. Charania added that "if they get a bigger offer" on White, "they have to look at everything."

That should be all Miami needs to hear to give its full attention to this option.

Durant might be a superior talent in a vacuum, but White is younger, cheaper (in salary, though probably not in trade assets), more durable, and signed for longer. White is, in other words, probably a lot less risky than a megadeal for Durant would be. Not to mention, subtracting White from Boston's equation could make a return to contention that much harder for the Celtics whenever Jayson Tatum makes it back from his torn Achilles.

Plus, while Durant would fill an obvious vacancy in this offense, White's jack-of-all-trades game might allow him to check more boxes. He can be -- takes deep breath -- a tenacious point-of-attack defender (a big need if Miami doesn't want to potentially overpay Davion Mitchell in free agency), a reliable decision-maker, an ignitable support scorer, an efficient outside shooter, and a two-way connector.

White might not have the name recognition of a star, but he is someone who can star in a number of different roles and still make that level of impact. During Durant's career, his teams have fared 5.7 points better per 100 possessions with him than without, per Basketball-Reference. With White, his on-court differential is plus-4.9 points per 100 possessions.

He is the proverbial makes-things-happen kind of support player. Erik Spoelstra would love him. Ditto for this fanbase. Miami's resident stars, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, would appreciate his arrival, too, since White could simplify their tasks -- easing the offensive burden on Herro and the defensive pressure on Adebayo -- without stepping on their toes or stunting their development in any way.

The real question, of course, is whether Miami could afford to pay what's sure to be a steep asking price out of Boston. And, to be frank, there's reason to be skeptical. The Heat aren't exactly overloaded with assets, and they would have to hope Boston's front office has some big fans of Nikola Jović and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami should do everything it can to keep Kel'el Ware out of any star pursuits.)

That said, the Heat have some young talent, a few big expiring contracts, and some future first-round picks and swaps at their disposal. Their offer for White would hardly be insulting.

That doesn't mean the Celtics would accept it, obviously, but the Heat would be out very little by just making the phone call. And given how well White would fit in Miami -- arguably better and longer than Durant -- the possibility is worth prioritizing and exploring from all angles.