NBA Rumors: Pat Riley Talks About Miami Heat’s Trade Plans, Dwyane Wade, And Hassan Whiteside
When he demanded a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jimmy Butler named the Miami Heat as one of his preferred trade destinations. The Heat didn’t waste the opportunity to add a legitimate NBA superstar on their team and engaged in a trade discussion with the Timberwolves. Unfortunately, talked between the two teams fractured after the Timberwolves asked for more trade assets in return for their disgruntled superstar.
According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Heat President Pat Riley decided to talk to the players who were mentioned in the potential trade package after he pulled the plug on Jimmy Butler trade. When asked where the Heat currently stands in the trade market, Riley revealed that they are not “looking” but they are “listening.”
“I’m not looking, I’m listening and [general manager Andy Elisburg] and I are … we’ve been doing this all the time. We’re not actively pursuing anything, we’re listening. But you have to be part of what’s going on in the conversation in the NBA, and there’s a lot of hypotheticals from that standpoint.”
Pat Riley denied making any calls to make a trade offer, but he admitted that they had conversations with other NBA teams. Regarding potential deals, Riley let Heat General Manager Andy Elisburg do most of the talking.
“He’s got 29, 30 GMs that they all like to talk, and so they need to talk to one another. You listen, and I think that’s how things happen is you just sort of listen.”
Pat Riley On Trade Rumors: "We're Not Actively Pursuing Anything" https://t.co/y7GYx7YGZY pic.twitter.com/ONqR5DCsr0
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 9, 2018
In his interview with the Miami Herald, Pat Riley also talked about Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside. Riley revealed that whenever he texts Wade, he uses the hashtag “#216-6percent with a heart at the end of it.” Those numbers refer to the weight and body fat percentage Riley wants for the veteran shooting guard.
Despite his age, Riley is still expecting Dwyane Wade to make a huge impact for the Heat, especially when the real battle begins in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. After inking a one-year, $2.4 million contract, Wade has already revealed his plan to permanently retire, but Riley is hoping that the three-time NBA champion will change his mind and continue playing for the Heat until he’s 40.
Meanwhile, Riley has been impressed with Hassan Whiteside this season. After being involved in various trade rumors, Whiteside regained his starting role and is currently performing on both ends of the floor. This season, the 29-year-old center is averaging 14.2 points, 15.2 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks on 50 percent shooting from the field. Instead of being distracted, Riley believes Whiteside used all the rumors surrounding him as a motivation to keep performing at a high level and prove that he’s still one of the most dominant big men in the league.
