When it comes to bringing in NBA superstars, never bet against the Miami Heat or team president Pat Riley.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the latest All-Star to take his talents to South Beach after the Heat sent four players and three first-round picks to the Milwaukee Bucks for the two-time MVP. It’s a testament to the lure of Miami and the Riley-led organization.
Pat Riley landed another big fish in Giannis Antetokounmpo
Since Riley arrived in Miami in 1995, he’s never hesitated to make bold moves to bring in superstar players. As team president and head coach, Riley wasted little time in trading for center Alonzo Mourning, who went on to win two Defensive Player of the Year awards as the Heat reached the playoffs in six straight seasons.
A decade later, Riley repeated the feat with a blockbuster trade to bring in Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal, who led the Heat to a title in 2006. In 2010, Riley brought in LeBron James and Chris Bosh to play with Dwyane Wade, a move that stunned the NBA and led to four straight Finals appearances and two titles. He worked a sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler in 2019, and the Heat won the Eastern Conference in 2020 and 2023.
Now Riley has the 31-year-old Antetokounmpo, an NBA champion in 2021 and a Hall of Fame lock. He’ll play with three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo, who scored 83 points in a game last season. The cost was quite high — four players all 26 and under, plus three firsts and a swap — but Riley’s modus operandi is to get the superstar first and figure the rest out later.
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