Kevin Durant was sent to the Houston Rockets in early July as part of a record seven-team deal that Phoenix preferred over Miami’s offer. The Heat formally offered Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith and the No. 20 pick in exchange for Durant and Cody Martin. Phoenix countered by demanding inclusion of Nikola Jović and a future pick swap, a price Miami deemed too steep. Miami traded forward Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets in mid-August to lower its luxury-tax obligations. Attention now turns to the development of Kasparas Jakucionis and Nikola Jović as benchmarks for assessing Miami’s offseason strategy.