through the NBA summer of 2023, a deluge of reports and discussions showed that the Miami Heat had an interest in making a trade to send away guard Tyler Herro if it would bring back Damian Lillard, yet Heat president Pat Riley insists that is simply not true.
I will say this, that we never offered Tyler in any trade, we’ve never shopped him to anybody,” Riley said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. “It’s just part of the business.”
Riley spoke to the paper on the eve of the 2023-24 season, with the Heat returning much the same roster that brought them to the NBA Finals last spring despite barely slipping into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed following a split decision in the play-in tournament.
That does not mean the Heat would not have dealt Herro, of course, only that it was not discussed.
Pat Riley on Tyler Herro Trade Talk: ‘Badge of Honor’
Regardless, Pat Riley had a strong message to Herro about the trade chatter—he should be happy about it. It’s only when no one is talking about you that a player should worry.
“The fact that Tyler has been involved in these discussions, he almost should wear that as a badge of honor,” Riley said. “I hate to see that happen. You can’t stop it. This one was a runaway train this summer. It couldn’t be stopped. It just was. And the more you would try to speak on it in any way shape or form, then it’s what it is.
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