Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson discuss LeBron coming to Miami:
Chad: He’s not going back to LA. I can tell you that… You heard it here first… LeBron, Klay, Giannis, Bam!
Shannon: I will say this about LeBron, he is one of the most forgiving people that I know… If he can forgive Dan Gilbert for the things he said, you can forgive Pat Riley for throwing the cookies in the trash. Pat said ‘I’ll leave the key under the door mat if he wanna come back.’ Pat knows what that man represents”
(Via @NightcapShow_)
Brian Windhorst on covering the Heat and how LeBron may feel about the organization 👀
“I admire the Heat organization so much. I value the relationships created—I learned so much listening to Riley—They conduct themselves w/ professionalism & class. I've got nothing but wonderful positive things to say about Miami—I think LeBron might feel the same. He still mimics some of the stuff Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra would say”
(Via https://t.co/RdZh1Mw1uO h/t @dru_star )
Ramona Shelburne on the possibility of LeBron going back to Miami to join Giannis and Bam:
“If you’re going to break up with the Lakers, you got to have a story… Miami is a good story. Cleveland would be a good story. Golden State would be a good story. I wouldn’t have said Miami until they did this last night, but those 3 teams make sense to me… I wouldn’t say never”
(Via @LeBatardShow)
Tim Hardaway on Pat Riley's next move after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo:
“Pat Riley is real methodical at doing something. If we do this and we make this trade and this happens, then this is going to be our roster. Alright, this is going to be our next move.
He's playing chess. So he moves this and he gets this, then he's moving that. This is his next move. Just wait and see. Four or five days after—right around when free agency starts—he's going to make another move.”
(via YT: Crossover Podcast)
Ira Winderman says Khris Middleton is a likely FA target for the Miami Heat:
“He’s a free agent now and he’s a minimum player…the Heat always got that whisperer for a player — Mike Miller and LeBron were very close…Jimmy wanted his buddy here…Kyle Lowry came in here…matter of fact I think he’s (Middleton) the most likely player when the Heat starts adding free agents…he’s a proven playoff winner…I think Khris Middleton is a really good name…I would say it’s more likely than not that it’s someone they talk to when free agency starts next Tuesday at 3pm.”
(via @1043wqam)
Michael Wilbon is still taking shots at Giannis 😬
“Giannis has been a rumor in April and May. He ain’t even been on the floor in June! He’s been a rumor. I’m sorry but 5 years is too long when you’re 32 years old and to have questions…. I believe in Heat culture, but Giannis was missing flights and two hours late. We heard from people about what Giannis was doing in Milwaukee. Where’s the personal pride? Where is the professionalism? So You need Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra and them to tap into that for you? I’m convinced Miami will go get the people. But what I’m not convinced about, is Giannis.”
(Via https://t.co/hSWANqhFbO…)
Tracy McGrady says you can’t have Giannis as your 1A on a championship team:
“I like it but it’s incomplete. As great as Giannis is, he’s been great the last 5 years, he’s still a guy that can’t be my 1A. He’s a guy that through 3 quarters, you can carry our team. I can’t give him the ball in the 4th quarter. They need a closer”
(Via @VinceAndTmac)
Rich Paul says the Heat roster will look totally different by the time the season starts:
“Bobby Portis can really shoot…. One other thing you’re getting, you’re getting Pros. Giannis and Bobby Portis, people talk about ‘Heat Culture’, they don’t need it. These are adults going into a locker room with the understanding of what this is all about.
This team could look totally different. There’s a lot of work to be done. The one good thing about Miami is, when you talk about back filling a roster with minimums, who don’t want to go to Miami on a minimum?”
(Via Game Over)
Jay Williams says he’s trusting Pat Riley to win a championship with Giannis:
“I’m gonna trust in the guy Pat Riley who is incredibly patient and continues to trade for Hall Of Famers. Shaq, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Jimmy Butler. This franchise wins in the margins! They win this way every time! They wait for the right person, when they get him, they win!”
I think Heat will have to at least explore the cost of moving Niko contract. Even if it costs 41. It would vastly help financial constraints of the hard cap/first apron.
If Wiggins won’t play ball with an extension and instead opts in, Heat may be forced to deal him to diversify his $30M ….but I bet Heat hope to convince him to opt out & take less on long term extension.
Targeting a specialist at smaller salary in S&T with Norm seems prudent.
I think it’s critical that the HEAT have spending ability under 1st apron to be able to offer full NT-MLE to one of top target FA Guards available to replenish backcourt shooting/scoring
Back in September 2025, we asked Giannis who his toughest opponent in the NBA is and the center he would pick for his dream lineup.
Hint: They will now be teammates 😜
Kenyon Martin says if Jimmy Butler got the Heat to the finals, Giannis can too:
“They gonna have a mismatch every night. Both of them dudes athletic. If Jimmy Butler did that with those teams, Giannis can do it. Spoelstra is a hell of a coach. He’s underrated. Erik Spoelstra is a hell of a coach”
(Via @GilsArenaShow)