You know what makes a great season? An even better off-season. And if this off-season is something to go by, then we might just be in for an all-time classic. Sure, there are way too many key players potentially out for the year. Jayson Tatun, Kyrie Irving, and Tyrese Haliburton, with no intentions of returning, could hamper the hype. But Kevin Durant’s move to the Rockets changes everything. The only other ones in the race were Miami, who seemed to have shot themselves in the foot with Pat Riley’s arrogance.

Miami’s been under all sorts of highs and lows since Jimmy Butler left. With Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo the only possible top-20 players in the league, they’re in big need of some firepower. Durant was supposed to be that. But Stephen A. Smith knows a lot more than he lets out. And he knows exactly why Durant never ended up at South Beach. What is that reason?

“And I said this is the winner within one of the great, great champions I love and revere this man Pat Riley. But at some point in time – how many players are you missing out on getting to South Beach? It’s South Beach…  Ain’t too many people don’t want to [play at] South Beach… Come on now,” said SAS on an episode of First Take. Can you blame him for saying this?

The prospect of being in Miami itself should be good cause for players to take the plunge with the Florida outfit. If you club that with how open the East is, partnering Kevin Durant with Herro and Adebayo might not have been the worst decision in the world. But that cause was not cause enough for Pat Riley, and his seemingly 0 need to loosen the purse strings. Instead, that might be a sign for them trying to go all out on Giannis Antetokounmpo.

ESPN draws multiple parallels with Miami’s Kevin Durant blunder

Yes, he 36. And yes, he might not be what you want in a generational rebuilt. But it’s still Kevin Durant. Wouldn’t you give up some squad players for Hall of Fame pedigree? If yes, then you’re not Pat Riley. “You don’t want to get Kevin Durant because you’d have to give up Jaime Jaquez? And Highsmith? Would mean… Really,” said SAS on the show. But that could mean just one thing – they’re preserving players for the Greek.

“That would mean that Miami has to be all in on Giannis,” followed Jay Williams. If that’s the case, this might just end up being a Riley masterclass after all. Giannis might bring in the same kind of pedigree, with more years on the book for the same ballpark figure. If they don’t even do that, then even the unpredictability of the East might not be enough to grant a progression. And the Cavs would be their biggest threat.

“I’m just saying in the East, the way the East looks right now, do you have to game plan to beat a Cleveland team? Other than that, it’s wide open… Are you trying to tell me that KD with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo with the Knicks’ absence of depth, Cleveland getting exposed and Jayson Tatum getting hurt; you trying to tell me you’re the Miami Heat and you didn’t see that opportunity right in of your face?” concluded Smith.

None of the Kevin Durant talks hold an ounce of water anymore though, with Rockets siezing the opportunity. And they know what could be bred with even a year of the Grim Reaper. So Heat’s only chance at glory is Giannis Antetokounmpo. If not that either, then Pat Riley deserves a seat on the same couch as Nico Harrison for his Luka Doncic blunder.