Pat Riley looks on during the East Regional Round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Verizon Center. (Photo : Getty Images/Win McNamee)
The Miami Heat found no reason to tweak their roster with potential moves delayed for the Summer. Heat president Pat Riley admits they weren’t interested in changing up for now, opting to see where his current roster takes him.
Pat Riley has maintained confident on their current roster but adds that they will keep close watch on the remaining 25 games. The pressure will be on and he wants to see how the team would react, the Miami Herald reported.
Despite NBA trade talk involving the likes of Goran Dragic, Wayne Ellington and Dion Waiters, no one is moving for now. The Heat tote a 25-32 win-loss card and are currently sitting at 10th position of the Eastern Conference standings. Regardless, they are within striking distance considering their record is not that distant from the teams ahead of them.
Teams ahead of the Heat include the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers. If head coach Erik Spoelstra can find a way to get his players together and string some wins, the Heat can immediately go up as high as sixth place.
Before the NBA trade deadline, the Heat won 14 of their 16 matches. Many believed that this could have been a factor for Riley to hold off any trade. Though he denies it, it makes sense since the last thing he would want to do is disrupt the chemistry of the team.
Looking ahead, the Heat do have a draft pick in the coming NBA draft. Dion Waiters is set to become a free agent but may be part of Riley’s evaluation. Waiters’ numbers have been up as of late so the veteran mentor could be weaving his magic to convince the 25-year-old guard to stay, Heat Nation reported.
If so, he could be the third critical piece for the Heat. Already set are Hassan Whiteside and Dragic, both previously inking lucrative deals. Could Waiters be dangled one too?
A lot depends on the Heat can get from the draft, same with NBA free agency. As for the other players, stepping up from her up to the end of their season will be a key influence on their future in South Beach.
Check out Pat Riley’s press conference after the NBA trade deadline below.
