NBA superstar Dwyane Wade. (Photo : Getty Images)
The mighty has fallen. Dwyane Wade is now out of the Miami Heat and the franchise is now in shambles.
For now. Pat Riley is not known as the NBA's Godfather simply because of his resemblance to Vito Corleone. As many would suspect, losing Wade may be part of his long-term plan.
This assumption was formulated by Tom Ziller of SB Nation and he had very plausible arguments to defend it. He contends that Riley knew-and wanted Wade to walk away as he needed to bring his franchise to the next chapter.
Ziller cited Riley's text to Dan LeBatard (h/t Miami Herald) wherein some clues could be gathered when you read between the lines.
Pat Riley's text "statement" in full (it was a shared text, not an official team statement):
"SADDDDDDD!!!! SO saddddddd! I will never forget the sixth game in Dallas in 2006. DW rebounded the ball, and threw it to the heavens and the Heat universe was perfect for that moment. Our first world championship. Our universe is not perfect today. It will be fraught with anger, judgment, blame instead of THANK YOU!!! Ten years ago. Ten years older. Ten years wiser. Ten years changed. All of us. Dwyane had a choice, and he made it. He went home. Bad, bad summer for us. But there will be another 10 years, and it will be someone or something else in 2026. Move on with no blood or tears. Just thanks. I truly loved Dwyane, but families grow, change and get on with another life. He will always be a part of us. ALWAYS! And no more bruises and enough fighting. Let's just fly above it if we can and never forget. I feel his pain and pride for what pushed him over the ledge. Been there. Forever, for always, your coach I will be. FOREVER!"
While Riley wants to make us believe that this was a shock for him, statements like "ten years older, ten years wiser" and "there will be another 10 years" with "Someone or something" seem to imply a changing of the guard. Also, to "move on with no blood or tears" seems too rosy for someone whose franchise superstar ran out on him.
Ziller reminds us that the Heat placed Wade in the backburner. They signed Whiteside first, pursued Kevin Durant and in this revealing tweet by Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald revealed, he never contacted Wade.
While you're watching Kelly Ripa, one more nugget: Pat Riley never called Dwyane Wade during the entire process.
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) July 7, 2016
The Heat were $10 million short of keeping Wade for 2 years. If they wanted to, they could give it.
Which brings us to another question: Why did Riley let Wade go?
Riley saw his former team, the LA Lakers and their "tribute contract" for Kobe Bryant that disabled the franchise for the past two seasons. Now, the Lakers can't even get meetings with free agents and settled for Timofey Mozgov.
Ziller says Wade is not Kobe, but he's not Tim Duncan or Dirk either. "Wade is happy to defer to Goran Dragic for stretches and never asked for $30 million, but he's not going along with getting benched regularly and making $10 million. Obviously."
Riley was looking at the future. He tried to make Durant a part of it but he refused. Thus, 2016 will be a bleak year for the Heat. But that's just a year. True "Godfathers" look at the big picture and they know they must sometimes shed blood to usher in a new era.
Ziller claims that Riley was done with Dwyane Wade-perhaps as early as when LeBron left and the Banana Boat superteam talks came out. He was already looking for a new star. If he got Durant, the new era begins now. But he didn't so Riley waits a year for the rich 2017 free agent class.
Taking out Chris Paul and Steph Curry as targets (because they still have Dragic), Ziller says Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Gordon Hayward are targets for the team. If Chris Bosh eventually retires, the Heat could possibly max two of these players or somehow clear the books and acquire all three.
For now, the Heat will go as far as Whiteside, Dragic and Justise Winslow will take them. They are down, but with Riley, they would never be counted out.
LeBron James claimed that he watches "The Godfather" regularly in his home. Pat Riley doesn't have to. He has already become basketball's Vito Corleone.
