Miami Heat general manager Pat Riley talked about his plans for the offseason and the possibility of bringing another star to the team, either through trade or free-agency, at the exit press conference last week.
Riley, who has been the Heat’s top decision-maker since 1995, opened his press conference by venting off his frustration over his team’s elimination from the playoffs despite winning four of the five games against the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The Heat executive believed the Heat deserved to be in the playoffs, claiming the 2-1 season series slate for the Chicago Bulls is not a justifiable tiebreaker
“I was pissed.
They deserved to get in, and they didn’t get in…. We won four out of our last five games against the best teams in the conference, and we still didn’t get in. It was a great disappointment, but at the same time it was a lot of success,” Riley stressed.
Offseason Plan
Despite falling short this season, Riley claimed the Heat is ‘ahead of the game’ entering the offseason. The Heat will be armed with a top-10 pick and $30.8 million projected starting salary cap that could balloon up to $50 million if they somehow find a way to reach a buyout agreement with the All-Star forward.
According to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, the Heat will have a difficult time signing a max contract player, while retaining the service of Dion Waiters, Willie Reed, and James Johnson.
These three players rightfully deserve at least 20 percent raise in their next deals, and that makes things tricky for Riley and his front-office team.
Utah Jazz’s All-Star Gordon Hayward is at the top of the Heat’s free-agency wish list, but the prevailing cap space problem might force Riley to shift his attention on the second-tier free agents such as Danilo Gallinari, CJ Miles, and Joe Ingles.
Riley also hinted at the possibility of pulling off a trade, although he stressed that he wouldn't use second-year man Justise Winslow as trade bait.
Settling Bosh’s contract
Again, the Heat’s financial flexibility for the next two season hinges on the resolution of Chris Bosh’s contract situation. Bosh pocketed 23.7 million this season despite not playing a single second on the court because of his current health issues (blood clotting).
He’s scheduled to earn $25 million in the 2017-18 season and another $26 million in the 2018-19 season unless Riley and the Heat ownership convince Bosh to accept a significant buy-out. In an interview on Larry King Now, Bosh reiterated his intention of playing competitive basketball once the league physicians entirely clear him. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls are the two teams expected to line up for Bosh’s service.
