Heat team president Pat Riley isn’t planning on making any major changes to the roster this offseason, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Speaking to the media on Friday, Riley said he’s committed to keeping his young core intact.
“I think we’ll stay the course with our (draft) picks, stay the course with our young players,” he said. “We have decisions to make, obviously, with player contracts and free agents, and really do a deep dive into this season, myself and [coach Erik Spoelstra] and [GM Andy Elisburg], about how good we really are right now.”
Riley addressed a number of topics, including the team’s free agents. Here are the highlights:
- At the top of the team’s free agent list are Jae Crowder and Goran Dragic and Riley hinted he’d like to re-sign them. However, he also wants to preserve cap space to make a run at a top-level free agent next season. “It’s going to be a little bit dicey for us because of wanting that flexibility,” he said. “But if things can happen prior to that, I think we have to take care of our own, as much as we can.”
- The tricky timing of a possible Bam Adebayo extension also weighs heavily on Riley’s mind. If Adebayo signs a rookie scale extension this offseason, it would eat significantly into the Heat’s cap space for next offseason. Riley could try to convince Adebayo to delay signing an extension until next offseason but Riley isn’t keen on doing that. “I’m not going to approach it that way,” Riley said. “I really don’t want to get into any kind of discussions at this point about it. … We value Bam Adebayo. He’s an All-Star. And he’s young. And he’s great. And we’re going to do what’s in his best interest.”
- Even though the team made a surprising run to the Finals in Orlando, Riley isn’t sure the team as presently constituted can pull that off again. That could play into his personnel decisions. “We were in the Finals. Are we a finalist?” he said. “Can we get through the Eastern Conference next year with what’s happening in Philadelphia or what’s going to happen in Milwaukee or what’s going to happen in Brooklyn or Boston? We already know that Boston has got their team together and they got three first-round picks in the draft. Toronto, there’s a lot of very good teams. So yeah, that’s a question that I’ll kick around in my mind. I’ll talk to Spo about it.”
Anything can happen
Heat could be 2nd round exit or nba finals again
Umm. Yes.
2nd round exit 40%
Conference Finals 30%
NBA Finals 20%
Nuggets
1st round exit 40%
2nd Round Exit 50%
Did you work with Kevin Pelton and his algorithms on coming up with those numbers?
Crowder is only going to stay if he takes short money, he really is not that special, and to a lesser extent dragic. Herro, Robinson and Nunn can handle his minutes.
Crowder is one of the top 20-25 defensive players in this league.
Crowder is one of the top 75 defensive players in the league. He is one of the top 200 offensive players in the league.
Hence, not that special
Hmmm okay, so what in your opinion is Crowder’s value? Just out of curiosity.
2 yr / $20mm
It’s amazing to me that a guy gets in the finals, and all of a sudden he is an amazing player. Where were all of you when he was stinking it up in Memphis earlier in the season?
I avoid places where people are stinking it up.
You’re a very wise man.
Really? In no particular order, here are 30 better defenders than Jae:
Jimmy B
Bam
Trevor Ariza
Giannis
Eric Bledsoe
CP3
Kawhi
Patty B
Josh Okogie
Klay
Dray
Drummond
Jerami Grant
Robert Covington
Ben Simmons
LeBron
AD
Danny Green
Dejounte Murray
FVV
Kyle Lowry
Jayson Tatum
Marcus Smart
Mikal Bridges
Rudy Gobert
Kris Dunn
Jrue Holiday
Brook Lopez
PJ Tucker
Joel Embiid
Crowder is solid, but top 25 is way too high to rate him. As evidenced by the fact that he did not get a single all defensive team vote this year while guys like Avery Bradley, Aaron Baynes and Johnathan Issac did should tell you the NBA doesn’t think so either.
Mark Cuban is going to give Crowder 3 years 30M contract with team option.
Mavs targeting Avery Bradley too.
This site needs a laugh emoji.
The site needs posts with attributions.
Only thing matters is Crowder value to Heat. Chemistry wise he is a big part of team. He is absolutely valuable to them both ways. He can guard just about all positions. You can’t say that about many players. He, Bam, and Jimmy make up a great defensive three. That allows them to play Herro and Duncan. Two young not very good D players. Plus he is a solid O guy. Can pass and shoots the 3. He is a big part of their Finals run. He will get the respect and a descent offer. His gm ages well. At 30 a 3-4 yr contract is worth it. They can make it first yr 10 mill, 2nd yr 5 mill (so they can sign a FA), 3rd yr 10 mill, 4th yr 10 mill. It’s basically a ME contract over 4 yrs. He’s a big part of team. Drajic I’m not sure. Cause he could get offers. At 34 Heat could keep him. But they can’t give him big money. He’d do well to get 2 yrs 25 mill. Heat strength was their depth. And Drajic has to be fresh for playoffs. It absolutely definitely helped him have a good run this yr. In the playoffs. Or they could sign and trade him to Bucks or Nets or Sixers. Get younger PG in return. Like Bledsoe, Dinwiddie. or Thybulle or Milton. Be kind of weird trading in own conference. But getting younger is a good idea. How about to Clippers for Jackson.
Jae Crowder is average Joe… Dragic is nothin’ special at all… so if they can get them cheap good otherwise they can get better players cheaper or wait a year.
I do agree with Riley about yes they got to the finals, but are they the best team in the EC… not so sure they can do it again with the same team. They need to improve to repeat, as of now there are better teams in the EC!
Your leading scorer in playoffs is nothing special. You don’t want a history lesson on Drajic. About as insightful as Sillyman.
Drajic is up in age, yes. Without him Heat don’t make it to Finals. And with him and Bam it would have been much different. You think LA loses their leading scorer and they win. If LA lost their third leading scorer they wouldn’t win. The playoffs are a team effort. Very few in history of gm. Can afford to lose a key player. He’s a solid vet. Heat are young. He makes a big difference to them. Heat don’t have the cap or player movement to replace him. Dunn is solid. But to make a run they need everyone. The value of a player to a team is not judged by hater fans. It’s by looking at it thru teams and managements eyes. That’s what a real take or argument is. That’s what an intelligent observation is.
I mean, youre right on Dragic. But Herro needs big minutes and costs next to nothing. The writing it on the wall.
Dana Garuder: “Riley says he’s committed to keeping his young core intact.” I doubt he used that phrase or meant to imply there was a heirarchy in his mind, that older player movement was irrelevant. Though to be fair, Riley wasn’t always clear, even when he said he was! He seems to want all things, reality and fantasy… young and old… run it back yet have capspace in 2021. His word was flexibility.
Riley: “We know what our priorities are, and it’s to take care of the players that we have to make decisions on almost immediately with our young guys,” Riley said. “We know we have a decision Bam has to make [with his potential extension] and we do with him. We know the guys that have sacrificed for us that we really like. Our free agents, especially Goran, who has been here for five years. It’s going to be a little bit dicey for us because of wanting that flexibility. But if things can happen prior to that, I think we have to take care of our own, as much as we can.”
Riley isn’t even sure if they’re titleists. That just feels like a waste of awarding a title to someone. Give it back then. Maybe he’s just a figurehead anymore for the Heat.
The Heat played better with Leonard and Olynyk out there to spread the floor. Should trade Bam while his value is high
Offering Bam will turn out to be the only way to get Giannis. But both GMs will say no!
If the heat followed the advice of the couch coaches on this thread, they would be known as the ice
really …..
Heat offseason should be interesting, with a couple of different possible directions, while trying to maintain cap flexibility for next offseason. Not sure what they plan to do with their pick as of now. Keeping it does present an interesting roster problem, assuming UD comes back. Heat need help at the 4, and could use a big that can defend the post, and give them 8-14 minutes per game. They could probably also use another guard/wing that can guard PGs, but that isnt as important if they keep their FAs. Hopefully, they can keep Dragic, Crowder, and Derrick Jones jr. Here is a list of the best FA fits for the Heat, in my opinion, and I think they have the ability to sign a good enough combination of 2-3 (depending on who they can keep) of these guys (likely with the mid-level and/or the bi-annual exception), while also retaining those 3…
Paul Millsap (number 1 priority)
Jerami Grant (probably not doable)
Jamychal Green (possibly cheaper than he should be)
Marcus Morris (probably not doable)
Serge Ibaka (probably not doable, outside shot?)
Marc Gasol (probably not doable)
Moe Harkless (possibly doable)
Josh Jackson (on verge of breakout around right team, replaces Winslow at the 4, and as a second or third playmaker in lineups around our shooters, still young and cheap)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (would be good in our environment)
Derrick Favors (probably not doable)
Noah Vonleh (cheap, can guard pick and roll, protect the rim, pass,.shoot, put ball on the floor)
Aaron Baynes (probably doable, theoretical fit for issues defending post)
Robin Lopez (possibly doable, likely more expensive than vonleh and Baynes)
Tristan Thompson (possibly doable, questionable. Coming off career best season)
Dwight Howard (I wanted him last year, not sure if still doable)
Joakim Noah (wanted to sign him before pandemic, cheap backup option to Baynes?)
Harry Giles (see Vonleh, but slightly younger/injury situation)
Willie Cauley-Stein (not sure of price/injury)
Alex Len (much improved)
Shaq Harrison (HEAT DNA! GET THIS MAN IN A ROTATION AFTER 3+YEARS OF ME SAYING IT. Probably not enough room, but good option if we lose anyone/make trades, probably cheap too)
Wilson Chandler (injury prone, recent issues)
Demarre Carroll (potential backup to losing Crowder or Derrick jones/super cheap 4 option)
Solomon Hill (if cant get anyone better at the 4/still theoretical fit if he can find what he had at one point and get better in our environment)
To keep Bam pleased until he signs, I would get a 5 instead of a 4.
But to run it back with one-year FA contracts, a gift that would keep on giving, would probably use up the capspace. Of course there would still be room for Shaq Harrison who still seems underappreciated!
I think the situation with Bam should be more than fine. He knows how much he is appreciated as the future carrier of Heat culture. 4 has been an issue for a couple of years. I did say they also need help at the 5 behind Bam, but that isnt as important with the right fit at the 4