Pat Riley is a legend in the NBA community as he has worked with the league for over five decades. You could easily say that he is an NBA royalty as he started as a player in 1967, then moved on to become a coach, and now an executive. He is someone who has experienced success at its greatest point as well, based on his career in basketball.
Now, the Miami Heat have been challenged to finalize a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers for Damian Lillard. Over the last five years, Riley has helped the franchise acquire a few key players such as Jimmy Butler. The Heat has been very successful under Butler’s leadership as well. They made two NBA Finals appearances in four years and also held the best record in the East during the 2021-22 season.
According to @BrettSiegelNBA at ClutchPoints, The Miami Heat have been in contact with the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason regarding a potential trade involving superstar point guard Damian Lillard.
“While a deal does not appear to be imminent, the Heat have been… pic.twitter.com/r8TxCgeqbm
— Miami Heatle 🔥🐬 (@HeatleMiami) August 22, 2023
Acquiring Lillard would elevate the Heat to another level. Considering how close they are to winning a title, Damian’s 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists career average will be a game-changer, to say the least. Pat Riley and his team of experts have been working out various trade packages. Portland hasn’t found anything convincing as yet. But this trade could cement Riley’s legacy as the greatest NBA executive ever.
Pat Riley has had immense success as an executive in the past
Speaking of Pat Riley, he has always had a way of finding success in the most impossible situations. This is a good sign for the Heat as they wait for the Blazers to make a decision. Riley has multiple accolades from being a player, coach, and executive. Collectively, he has nine NBA Championships (1x as a player, 1x as an assistant coach, 5x as a head coach, and 2x as an executive).
Pat Riley is in the 🏠 for the #23HoopClass enshrinement!
Watch the Red Carpet show live on NBA TV 📺 pic.twitter.com/yd9ivHwykB
— NBA (@NBA) August 12, 2023
While he is mostly known for his work as the Heat’s President of Basketball Operations, Pat Riley was also a 3x NBA Coach of the Year and 9x All-Star Game head coach. He was named the NBA’s Executive of the Year in 2011 following a blockbuster trade that formed one of the greatest Big 3s ever.
Riley was the mastermind behind the acquisition of LeBron James in 2010. Along with James, the Heat also signed Chris Bosh. He was one of the best forwards in the league during the early 2010s. They won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 before the team was dismantled. In 2004, Riley also helped orchestrate a mindblowing trade that landed Shaquille O’Neal on the roster with Dwyane Wade. O’Neal was coming off an incredibly dominant stint with the Los Angeles Lakers at the time.