As the Miami Heat’s core trio \u2014 Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro \u2014 gears up for its fifth season together, team president Pat Riley believes this could be a pivotal year for the franchise. In an interview with The Associated Press, Riley expressed confidence in his team’s chances in the Eastern Conference but also hinted at potential changes depending on this season’s outcome.<\/p>\n
“If you build a team around one or two players, three players, and you don\u2019t win the championship, then you might have to start thinking: \u2018OK, this is not going to work. This is not going to happen,'” Riley said. He cited the examples of Milwaukee and Boston, teams that made significant moves after reaching “those windows.”<\/p>\n
Herro, who is making $27 million this season, was the subject of trade rumors over the summer. “We have never shopped him and had no interest in ever trading the guy,” Riley clarified. “But when you\u2019re talking about acquiring one of the top five players in the league, there isn\u2019t anybody on our team that won\u2019t be discussed.”<\/p>\n
Riley acknowledged that recent moves have put Milwaukee and Boston in strong positions. However, he emphasized that the Heat have won the East twice in the past four seasons. “To win it, it\u2019s going to take this mentality on the part of our team and on the part of our three best players \u2014 most importantly, Jimmy and Bam and Tyler,” Riley stated.<\/p>\n
He elaborated, “They\u2019re the guys we really look to, the guys that are getting paid, they have to have far and away their career-best years that impact winning. So, whatever that is, scoring, rebounding, assists, not turning it over, defensively, whatever it is … that\u2019s what it\u2019s going to take.”<\/p>\n