The Miami Heat were tangled up in a trade for Damian Lillard for the better part of the NBA offseason, but to no avail.
The Heat have failed to acquire every single one of its trade or free agency targets, and it seems like Pat Riley is losing his pull or his magic around the league.
When asked about their failure to land Lillard, the legendary executive did admit that the team was reluctant to give up multiple valuable assets for the players who were available at the moment (via The Miami Herald and NBA Central).
Pat Riley admits that he didn’t want to give up a lot of assets for certain players on the trade market this summer
“We were very reluctant this summer in giving up all of our assets in any kind of discussions with anybody,”
(Via The Miami Herald) pic.twitter.com/gngHQfgVAG
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 23, 2023
The Heat desperately needed an improvement at the point guard position, and Lillard seemed tailor-made for their roster, their culture, and he even openly admitted his desire to play for the team.
If that didn’t motivate them to go all-in for one of the best players in the league, then it’s hard to envision them doing it for anybody else.
Sometimes, GMs tend to overvalue their assets, but the market has the final word in terms of actual value.
The Portland Trail Blazers were — rightfully — unfazed by Riley’s low-balling offense, and they got a much better return for their superstar player.
The Heat have managed to make it to the NBA Finals twice in the past four years despite not being the most talented team in the Eastern Conference.
But at some point, they’ll have to reconsider the way they’re doing business with other teams, as they’re clearly not impressing anybody at this point.
NEXT: Tyler Herro Makes Strong Statement On His Game
