Latest news with #PatRiley
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dwyane Wade explains why the Heat didn't pull the trigger on Kevin Durant: "This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner"
Dwyane Wade explains why the Heat didn't pull the trigger on Kevin Durant: "This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner" originally appeared on Basketball Network. The Miami Heat have been in star-hunting mode ever since Jimmy Butler packed his bags for the Golden State Warriors following what felt like an endless standoff with management and, most importantly, with Pat Riley. Advertisement The break-up with Butler left a giant hole in the franchise's identity, and as this offseason kicked off with fireworks all over the league, many thought South Beach would make its move, especially with Kevin Durant's name sitting on the trading block since February's trade deadline came and went without a deal. The table seemed set for the Heat to pounce. But, as it turned out, Riley and the front office didn't bite, as KD moved elsewhere. The Heat didn't want to throw all their chips in While there were plenty of reports suggesting that the Heat made a serious play for Durant, the details tell a different story. According to Shams Charania, Miami "turned down the opportunity to place Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick and other draft assets in a deal." Simply put, the Heat weren't willing to mortgage the future, especially not when the price also meant matching salaries through players like Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier or Andrew Wiggins. Advertisement That's where Dwyane Wade, the ultimate Heat legend and a guy who knows this organization inside and out, stepped in with his perspective. And Wade didn't sugarcoat it one bit. "Man, the Heat have been trying to get KD for 10 years… So, do you want him, or do you not want him? So, right now, they just playing a couple games. This is what the Heat do; they are not turning their chips until they feel like they got a winner," the Hall of Fame guard analyzed. Wade went deeper, pointing out that while Durant's talent is undeniable, Miami's front office wasn't just looking at the box score production. "So, obviously, they didn't wanna give up what was offered for KD to come there. They look at age, they look at injury, they look at a lot of things. They don't just look at, that he is scoring 25 a game. They look at can this dude hold up if we cash these chips in? Maybe they didn't feel to he was wroth those chips in," Wade added. Advertisement Related: "Unlike myself, he gets to join a team that's established right with HoF guys" - LeBron explains why Flagg is in an ideal position to immediately succeed Miami won't be sleeping for very long As the dust settled, it was the Houston Rockets who ended up pulling off the KD deal, shipping out Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick to land the former MVP. Meanwhile, Miami's front office kept its core pieces intact, even as frustration built among the fan base that they'd missed yet another shot at adding an elite superstar to the mix. Yes, he might be nearing the end of his career, but Durant has made his name on being the ultimate plug-and-play player who can make any team into a top-tier championship contender overnight. Advertisement "As a Heat fan, cause I'm a Heat fan, I gotta bite the pillow, too, and be mad. But also, I gotta understand that they know what they doing," D-Wade concluded. Of course, knowing Riley and how this organization operates, the Heat aren't done... With Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee still up in the air, don't be surprised if Miami's name pops up in those conversations sooner rather than later. The KD window may have closed, but in South Beach, another door is always just about to open. Related: Adam Silver plans to use Artificial Intelligence after the NBA's injury surge: "Ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Greg Cote's Poll Dance: What's your level of support for Heat's Pat Riley? Vote now!
Miami Heat president Pat Riley speaks to the media during his season-ending press conference at Kaseya Center on May 9, 2025, in Miami. Note to readers: The Poll Dance and Hot Button Top 10 are taking next Sunday off for the long holiday weekend. See you back here with a new edition of each on July 13! Pat Riley since joining the Miami Heat in 1995, first as head coach and later as club president, has drafted Dwayne Wade, promoted Erik Spoelstra, signed LeBron James, and overseen three NBA championships -- among other successes and accomplishments that over 30 years have made him a towering figure in South Florida sports history. Advertisement But he is not above criticism. Now 80, Riley's Heat have not won it all since 2013, and the misses have outnumbered the hits lately in the whale-hunting category, most recently going after but failing to close a trade for Kevin Durant. I would hope Riley might still have the broad faith and support of most Heat fans. But you also see and hear lots of game-has-passed-him-by rhetoric on social media. So you be the judge, right here. Take our latest Poll Dance and vote for which option best reflects how you feel about Riley today. Vote as many times as you'd like or until your fingers ache. GREG COTE POLL DANCE: ON PAT RILEY:
Miami Herald
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Greg Cote's Poll Dance: What's your level of support for Heat's Pat Riley? Vote now!
Note to readers: The Poll Dance and Hot Button Top 10 are taking next Sunday off for the long holiday weekend. See you back here with a new edition of each on July 13! Pat Riley since joining the Miami Heat in 1995, first as head coach and later as club president, has drafted Dwayne Wade, promoted Erik Spoelstra, signed LeBron James, and overseen three NBA championships -- among other successes and accomplishments that over 30 years have made him a towering figure in South Florida sports history. But he is not above criticism. Now 80, Riley's Heat have not won it all since 2013, and the misses have outnumbered the hits lately in the whale-hunting category, most recently going after but failing to close a trade for Kevin Durant. I would hope Riley might still have the broad faith and support of most Heat fans. But you also see and hear lots of game-has-passed-him-by rhetoric on social media. So you be the judge, right here. Take our latest Poll Dance and vote for which option best reflects how you feel about Riley today. Vote as many times as you'd like or until your fingers ache. GREG COTE POLL DANCE: ON PAT RILEY: Previous Poll Dance verdict: It's Bob in close vote for Panthers playoff MVP: We asked, 'Who was the MVP of the Florida Panthers' postseason championship run?' With 10 on the ballot including two non-players and a big response, you said: Sergei Bobrovsky 25%; Sam Bennett 23%, Brad Marchand 22%, Aleksander Barkov 11%; GM Bill Zito 10%; and coach Paul Maurice 6%. Note: Gustav Forsling, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk split remaining 3%. Carter Verhaeghe received no votes.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Heat Signing Big Ten Center After Draft: Report
Heat Signing Big Ten Center After Draft: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports. To put it generously, the Miami Heat had an uneven 2024-25 season. During a relatively underwhelming 2024 offseason, the Heat failed to come to terms with six-time All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler over a contract extension. Miami seemed to have reservations about giving maximum money to a 35-year-old with a history of ticky-tack injuries. Advertisement This set up an acrimonious start to the year, which saw Butler ultimately get suspended three times while agitating for a trade out of town. In February, the Heat traded Butler to the Golden State Warriors in a multi-team blockbuster deal, sinking further into mediocrity thanks to a middling return package highlighted by Andrew Wiggins and a future first round draft pick. While Golden State improved by leaps and bounds on both sides of the ball and advanced to the semifinal round of the Western Conference playoffs, Miami finished with a 37-45 finish and got obliterated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a four-game first round sweep. Now, the Heat are looking to pick up the pieces in a critical offseason for the franchise. Miami snagged an intriguing young guard in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft, All-Big Ten stud Kasparas Jakucionis, with the No. 20 pick. Advertisement After the end of the draft, Miami moved quickly to explore an intriguing new piece. Miami Heat team president Pat Navarro-Imagn Images Sources inform ESPN's Shams Charania that Miami is signing 7-foot-1 center Vlad Goldin, an undrafted free agent, to a two-way deal. Last year, the 24-year-old averaged 16.6 points on .607/.333/.731 shooting splits, 7.0 boards, 1.4 blocks, 1.1 assists, and 0.5 steals a night. Across collegiate runs with Texas Tech, Florida Atlantic and finally Michigan from 2020-25, the Russian big was honored as a 2023 All-CUSA Third Teamer, a 2024 All-AAC Second Teamer, the 2025 Big Ten Tournament MVP, and a 2025 All-Big Ten First Teamer. Advertisement Related: Bill Simmons Blasts Nets for Overlooking Kasparas Jakucionis, Highlights Heat's Draft Day Luck This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Insider Reveals Heat's Possible Kevin Durant Trade Package
NBA Insider Reveals Heat's Possible Kevin Durant Trade Package originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Miami Heat have become real players in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes as of late. Durant's tenure as a member of the Phoenix Suns is set to come to a close this summer, and the Heat will surely attempt to take advantage of his imminent departure. Advertisement Miami's team president Pat Riley will be pushing for the franchise to be uber-aggressive this offseason with regard to trading for a superstar, and the 36-year-old future Hall of Fame inductee could become the Heat's top priority. With Durant's prospective suitors getting set to take their shot at acquiring the legendary 15-time All-Star, Spotrac's Keith Smith joined the Locked on Heat podcast to discuss some of the Heat's best tradable assets with regard to a potential deal. Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant gestures to the referee for a foul call against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Hamilton-Imagn Images "As far as the talent on the roster, I think the challenge is (that) a year ago, Jaime Jaquez (Jr.) looked like this guy who, 'Hey, maybe we can plug this guy in as a starter just about anywhere and feel really good about it," Smith told Locked on Heat hosts Wes Goldberg and David Ramil on Tuesday. Advertisement "I think he backslid enough this year that there's at least some questions of, 'What happened?" Diving further into the potential key pieces of a Durant deal, Smith also suggested that several players with large expiring contracts could be used to facilitate a trade with the Suns. "It sounds crazy to say it because I know Heat fans are like, 'Get Terry Rozier as far away from this team as they can.' But the good news is he's an expiring contract." "Same thing with a guy like Duncan Robinson, expiring deal worth nearly $20 million. Those have value, again, in the league." If the Heat were to pull off a blockbuster transaction to land Durant, the trio of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson could be a great starting point. Advertisement For Phoenix, it's likely that Jaquez Jr. could pique their interests as a 2024 All-Rookie First Team selection and continually developing forward. With added first-round draft capital being thrown into the mix, a package centered around Jaquez Jr. might just be enough for the Suns and Heat to shake hands on a possible deal. Durant's prospective acquisition would be a franchise-altering decision for the Heat, as it would firmly place the franchise as a dark-horse Eastern Conference contender in 2025-26. In 62 contests for the Suns this past season, Durant contributed 26.6 points and 6.0 rebounds on a ridiculous 64.2% true shooting percentage, proving that he could certainly make an impact next to another star scorer like the Heat's first-time All-Star Tyler Herro. Advertisement Related: Shams Charania Links 5 Teams to Suns Star Kevin Durant in Trade Talks Related: Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Lands Suns' Kevin Durant With LeBron James' Old Team This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
