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Heat president Pat Riley is in the midst of his annual season-ending news conference. Please keep checking back for updates; we\u2019re placing fresh quotes at the top.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s over<\/p>\n
Riley went 1 hour and 6 minutes in the news conference, his longest in many years.<\/p>\n
On Powell\/Herro<\/p>\n
Asked if Tyler Herro and Norm Powell can play together, Riley said: \u201cThey can co-exist if you\u2019re playing the right style and have the right players around them. Norm played great for us early and then dealt with a lot of injuries after the All Star game.\u201d<\/p>\n
They played fewer than 20 games together this season because one or the other often was injured. Erik Spoelstra didn\u2019t play them together late in the season.<\/p>\n
Injury issue?<\/p>\n
Riley said games played (injury history) will factor into the Heat\u2019s personnel decisions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the first thing I look at…. That\u2019s why I love Bam. You can count on him every night. Looking at [a player\u2019s] injury history and all of that stuff comes into play. You look at guys that don\u2019t have injury histories. That comes into account.\u201d Riley said injuries are a league wide problem, not a Heat specific issue.<\/p>\n
What Riley will seek<\/p>\n
Asked what he\u2019s specifically looking for (besides an elite scorer), Riley said: \u201coverall length. We will address that.\u201d He mentioned that \u201cshooting, ball-handling, those kind of things have to go to another level when you\u2019re playing the game to a high pace.\u201d<\/p>\n
New practice facility<\/p>\n
Riley said a new one is in the works. The Heat has practiced on an upstairs court at Kaseya Center for the past 20 years.<\/p>\n
More on Adebayo<\/p>\n
Adebayo is untouchable in trade talks, per Riley. (See below on that.)<\/p>\n
On his offensive game, Riley said: \u201cBam has become a three-pronged scorer, has made leaps and bounds in his three-point percentage and [mid-range] game.\u201d But he also noted that \u201chis field goal percentage is the lowest of his career. It\u2019s about efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riley knows more is needed<\/p>\n
Riley said he feels no pressure to get a star but will try as hard as he can to get one. He said he\u2019s \u201csorry that I used that damn word \u2018whale\u2019 a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need top end bucket getting talent in this league… We should try to make the best move we can make. We will try hard to aggressively pursue opportunities in free agency, at the draft. You have all summer to work on other parts of your roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to make a stupid move that\u2019s going to saddle us for years to come and will have to pay to get out from under. We\u2019ve always managed the tax extremely well. Andy [Elisburg] and I would count up the dollars at the end of the season. You don\u2019t want to encumber your roster with players you can\u2019t get rid of unless they\u2019re really performing.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he reads criticism of their young players and \u201cnobody gives them space to make mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herro update<\/p>\n
Asked about whether Tyler Herro will get an extension (he has one year left on his deal), he said he will speak to his agent but \u201cwe have to show a level of discipline in extending guys out.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said it was unfortunate that injuries limited to Herro to 33 games, and his foot procedure Monday will only keep him sidelined until July.<\/p>\n
Riley said Andrew Wiggins ($30 M player option) and Norm Powell (free agent) told him they want to return.<\/p>\n
Adebayo untouchable<\/p>\n
Riley said Bam Adebayo will not be traded under any circumstances and nothing would tempt him, aside from eight first round picks combined with Victor Wembenyama (said in jest).<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to build this around Bam,\u201d he said. \u201cMicky [Arison], Nick [Arison], Andy feel the same way. I\u2019m going to give you a flat out no.\u201d<\/p>\n
On playing two bigs together<\/p>\n
I asked Riley if the team needs to get bigger and if he needs to tell Erik Spoelstra either to commit to playing Kel\u2019el Ware with Bam Adebayo or does he need to acquire a proven, quality power rotation player to play alongside Bam.<\/p>\n
\u201cKal\u2019el and Bam, I like it,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be committed to it one way or the other. [Spoelstra] was up and down with it for a number of reasons. That\u2019s where he is going to have, along with me, have a discussion how are we going to be successful with guys we have. Or why did we even keep them? You have to stay with it when young players aren\u2019t performing at their highest and have bad games.\u201d Riley also said the team needs to get longer.<\/p>\n
Riley confirms he doesn\u2019t have final say<\/p>\n
Riley confirmed he doesn\u2019t have final say on personnel decisions but said that has always been the case. He said he doesn\u2019t have an \u201cego\u201d that requires having final say and that he doesn\u2019t want it.<\/p>\n
He said he had \u201ccarte blanche\u201d during his first 15 years on the job (1995-2010) because Micky Arison was busy with Carnival Cruise Lines. But Riley said \u201cthere were times he said no\u201d to deals.<\/p>\n
Now, CEO Nick Arison has final say; he has been in that position since 2012.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf [GM Andy Elisburg] and I decide on something and the boss doesn\u2019t like it, he says no, Riley said. \u201cThey own the team.\u201d Riley cracked that he would like to own the team.<\/p>\n
Riley said he speaks with Elisburg more than anybody. They create scenarios \u201cand I rely heavily on his opinion.\u201d Then they bring the ideas to people who own the team.<\/p>\n
Riley on why he wants to stay in the job<\/p>\n
Riley explained why he\u2019s not retiring: \u201cI love what I\u2019m doing. I love the people I am working with. I love competition. I love this franchise. Don\u2019t think I haven\u2019t thought about [retiring]. I\u2019m at 81 years old. I\u2019m aging up. Micky or Nick [Arison] will decide whether I age out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Exceptions on the table<\/p>\n
Riley again spoke of using the team\u2019s exceptions, none of which can be combined. The biggest are a $16 million trade exception from the Duncan Robinson trade and a $15.1 million non taxpayer mid level exception.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m encouraged where we are with the flexibility and the players that are out there that we know are available that we can pursue,\u201d Riley said.<\/p>\n
Surprising end<\/p>\n
Riley said the Heat\u2019s \u201cdropoff\u201d during the last 15 games of the season was \u201castounding.\u201d<\/p>\n
On diminished assets<\/p>\n
Riley: \u201cI don\u2019t want to give up assets to [acquire] damaged goods. We like our roster.\u201d That\u2019s one reason why the Heat has been very selective in pursuing distressed assets.<\/p>\n
Riley values Mitchell<\/p>\n
Riley raved about Davion Mitchell\u2019s competitiveness, noting that he nearly won the play-in game for Miami. \u201cWhat a battler,\u201d Riley said. \u201cDavion Mitchell, give me that guy any day of the week. If he\u2019s 6-10, he\u2019s All-NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riley likes Jovic<\/p>\n
Despite Nikola Jovic\u2019s struggles, \u201cwe look at Niko as one of our building guys. You all thought I had an absolute disdain for young players. I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riley said he had Jovic as a starter on his depth chart before last season. The plan was a lineup of Adebayo, Jovic, Wiggins, Herro and Powell. He said his back injury contributed to \u201chis nightmare season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talk with Bam<\/p>\n
Riley spoke with Bam Adebayo after the season and said Nick Arison and Riley and \u201ceveryone who makes decisions in basketball operations\u201d are going to try to get Bam Adebayo some on-court help this offseason. \u201cHe deserves more help. I don\u2019t blame him for being frustrated…. I sense his frustration… He knows that everybody who makes decisions are going to try to get somebody to help him… somebody who\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why no changes at trade deadline?<\/p>\n
Riley said he thought this Heat roster could have been competitive with any team in the playoffs except OKC and Spurs. That\u2019s one reason why the roster was kept together at the trade deadline (after the team\u2019s offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo was turned down by Milwaukee).<\/p>\n
He said he didn\u2019t need to trade players for assets because he thought this team had a chance to do something in the playoffs, though he admitted he didn\u2019t view the Heat as a championship contender in early February.<\/p>\n
An acknowledgement of roster<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going to be very aggressive. You can\u2019t just say, \u2018ive me a blueprint, Pat.\u2019 I know we need to make some changes roster wise. We\u2019re not good enough. We have an opportunity to do something with our flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said \u201cI can\u2019t control\u201d injuries and \u201cthe lack of continuity.\u201d But he said a player\u2019s injury history will factor into personnel decisions.<\/p>\n
Rozier fallout<\/p>\n
After trading a first-round pick for Terry Rozier, why would the Heat settle for a league settlement of a 2026 second-round pick — and not make a big fuss publicly – when Miami was defrauded by Charlotte, which did not tell the Heat that Rozier was under investigation when the Hornets traded him to the Heat for a top-14 protected first round pick?<\/p>\n
Riley said he doesn\u2019t \u201cwant to go down that road\u201d and had no role in how that was settled by the league. (According to a source, the Heat did not have the option of suing the league even it wanted to because of NBA rules.)<\/p>\n
Plans to be aggressive<\/p>\n
He said he will be \u201caggressive as hell to try to make the team better.\u201d He spoke of potentially using four available exceptions, including a $15 million midlevel exception. He said \u201cI\u2019m not going to change. I\u2019m not going to tank. I can\u2019t stand the word.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is a change in approach needed? \u201cIt\u2019s simply the same thing we did the last three seasons. We tried, more than you even know, to get better. We\u2019re at a period right now where you don\u2019t make radical changes right now. We\u2019re not going to tank and do that insanity. I will quit if I get ordered to go down that road.\u201d<\/p>\n
No asset collection<\/p>\n
He said he never would have traded anybody for an asset (draft pick) before the trade deadline because he wanted to go for it this year. He said even if a free agent leaves for nothing, there\u2019s value in the flexibility and room under the luxury tax that would be created in those circumstances.<\/p>\n
He said \u201cI\u2019m not going to apologize for being a play-in team.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he sent all of the Heat basketball employees home for a week, but Riley stayed at the office and spent the week \u201clooking at cap sheets. What we\u2019ve done last 30 years is what we\u2019ve done the last week, start preparing\u201d for the offseason.<\/p>\n
He said he\u2019s glad the team executed the Jimmy Butler trade the way it did because \u201cwe have more flexibility, more assets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Opening statement<\/p>\n
Riley said he\u2019s not retiring or resigning. \u201cI want another parade down Biscayne Boulevard,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s unhappy about the past three seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pissed and disappointed, disgruntled just like everybody else in the organization that understands what we are about: winning. The last three or four years… has been something I\u2019m not proud of, that we\u2019re not proud of. We\u2019ve always been a team that competes to win.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are competing for the last spot in the play-in, we are going to fight to the very last breath.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 1:02 PM.<\/p>\n