What’s next for Heat after not trading for Lillard? And insight on why talks stalled with Blazers
For those who wondered how the Miami Heat would operate this summer, team president Pat Riley offered a hint at the start of the offseason. “We’re not going to take a wrecking ball to a good team that had some real adversity this year that I felt built some strength,” Riley said during his season-ending news conference on June 20. “We have a good team, and probably a great team. We wouldn’t have gone as far as we have. … And so, running it back? Yes. Doing something that can help you with that last step? Yes, if it’s a possibility, and if there’s an opportunity without setting you back while you’re moving forward.
The Heat nearly took a wrecking ball to part of its roster after superstar guard Damian Lillard requested a trade to Miami on July 1. But talks between the Heat and Portland Trail Blazers went quiet for the last two months and Lillard was instead dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. The Heat was ready to make some big changes to a roster that made the NBA Finals as the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed last season to add an All-Star talent like Lillard, but it was only willing to go so far to make it happen.
