Miami Heat executive Pat Riley was candid about the team’s outlook and the potential for change in the near future. Despite the Tyler Herro trade rumors, he clarified that they did not shop the former Sixth Man of the Year winner, and he believes in the Heat’s current core.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Riley expressed his belief in the current Heat core, comprising Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro, heading into their fifth season together.
“If you build a team around one or two players, three players, and you don’t win the championship, then you might have to start thinking: ‘OK, this is not going to work. This is not going to happen,’” Riley said. “Maybe you see that in Milwaukee, maybe you see that in Boston. They got to those windows and made moves.”
The Bucks, the 2021 NBA champions, restructured their core this offseason by acquiring Damian Lillard. The Celtics, on the other hand, acquired Jrue Holiday after Milwaukee traded him away to facilitate the Lillard trade.
For Miami, making a significant deal during the summer would likely have involved trading Tyler Herro to align salaries. Herro, who faced trade rumours in the past, currently commands a salary of million this season, contributing to Miami’s payroll ranking as the sixth-largest in the NBA, standing at around 0 million.
“We have never shopped him and had no interest in ever trading the guy,” Riley said about Herro. “But when you’re talking about acquiring one of the top five players in the league, there isn’t anybody on our team that won’t be discussed.
Despite some modest additions, including rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and veteran wing Josh Richardson over the summer, Riley recognized that the team’s fortunes ultimately depend on the performance of its marquee trio—Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro.
The Miami Heat are set to kick off their regular season against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.