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Chad Johnson makes shocking claim about Kevin Durant and Miami Heat

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Rumors have been swirling about the Phoenix Suns and if the team should blow it up heading into next season fresh off a first-round sweep against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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This is largely due to the team’s salary situation coming off this disappointing end to the season.

Per Spotrac, Kevin Durant will be making $51.2 million next season with an additional year on his contract after that, Bradley Beal will be earning $50.2 million on the third year of a five-year deal and Devin Booker is set to make an estimated $49.4 million on the first season of a four-year extension. Additionally, Jusuf Nurkić is locked up for two more seasons after this one and will earn $18.1 million next year. Grayson Allen will be on the first season of a four-year, $70 million extension signed three weeks ago.

This means the Suns have their entire starting 5 locked up next season after only Durant and Booker played on the team in the 2022-23 season (Durant only played eight regular-season games for Phoenix then).

With the salaries Phoenix currently has on the books, it is projected to have the highest payroll in the NBA next season at $209 million.

Despite these rumors and this situation, owner Mat Ishbia said last week on the record that the team would be running it back in terms of the starting 5.

“When we made the trade for Kevin Durant, you realize that we had four years with him, right,” Ishbia said. “That’s a big deal. Same thing with Brad Beal, we had years with him. Devin Booker lined up for years. Nurkić years. We got Grayson Allen for years … Going into next year, knowing that we have the whole starting five back, I feel pretty good about that.”

With that being said, there is some drama going down with the Miami Heat after Pat Riley’s interesting comments on Jimmy Butler.

Durant went out to Miami this week for the F1 Miami race, where he hosted an event with his Boardroom company. He and Butler were both at the race.

According to the betting website betonline.ag, Miami stands as the odds-on favorite at +300 to land Durant if he doesn’t return to the Suns.

Former NFL great Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) had some interesting comments regarding Durant and the Heat on the “Nightcap” show with Shannon Sharpe. Johnson seemed sure that the Heat could trade for Durant.

“Because I talked to him, I talked to KD,” Johnson said on Tuesday’s episode. “I know KD is going to see this, and KD can attest to this, and you can talk to it about it tomorrow on First Take. I talked to KD. KD and I had a lengthy conversation. Listen, I’m not into basketball and people like KD and LeBron (James) and some of these other players that I know, they confide in me, and I asked if it was able to talk about it tonight in Nightcap. And it just so happen, boom, it comes up.

“And he said he would have no problem coming down to Miami if it made sense and what pieces the Heat are able to keep and surround him with to make sure they have a chance to be able to contend for a title.”

Eddie Gonzalez, Kevin Durant’s Podcast co-host on the ETC’s, refuted Johnson’s comments on X (formerly Twitter).

Do you think Johnson’s remarks hold any weight?

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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau

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