Miami Heat Team President Pat Riley Exploring Options to Retain Roster and Flexibility
In a perfect world, Miami Heat team president Pat Riley would have a plan set in place about the roster for next season.
After the longest season in NBA history, Riley is dealing with a short window about the organization's offseason plans. The Heat have decisions to make on extending center Bam Adebayo before the season begins and re-signing veteran guard Goran Dragic.
"It would be nice to have all the numbers and everything in a tiny, little binder," Riley said Friday in his first media availability since the season ended. "... From a practical standpoint, regardless of what the numbers are, we know what our priorities are. It is to take care of the players that we have that we have to make a decision on almost immediately with our young guys. We know we have a decision to make, Bam has a decision to make and we do with him."
Riley said the team is committed to retaining Dragic, who was the second-leading scorer in the postseason behind Jimmy Butler. Still, he knows this is the time to focus on the business of basketball instead of personal relationships.
If Adebayo delays his extension, it could mean more flexibility next offseason. There's also the possibility of passing on Dragic in favor of a younger player.
"We know the guys that have sacrificed for us that we really like," Riley said. "Our free agents, especially Goran, who's been here for five years, it's going to be a little dicey for us because of wanting that flexibility but things can happen prior to that. We have to take of our own as much as we can. We don't want to surrender that opportunity if it's there."
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