Riley was worried Heat would lose Wade, thinks Miami is a title contender
Pat Riley has been with the Miami Heat for 20 years this month, and wanted no part of losing a self-described "Heat lifer" like Dwyane Wade.
Still, when Wade opted out of his contract earlier this summer before re-upping on a one-year, $20-million deal, Riley was concerned by rumors that the 33-year-old guard could leave Miami.
"I had some concern because we have lost players before. ... There was a time I said anything is possible because of what had happened with LeBron," the Heat president told 790 AM's "Dan Le Batard and Stugotz" show Tuesday, according to the Miami Herald.
"The landscape of the NBA now and player mentalities sometimes get into the way of the priorities that you have to face as a player and as also an organization. It really is more than ever a big - big, capital letters - business now."
Wade has given the Heat hometown discounts on his salary in the past - most notably when LeBron James signed with the Heat in 2010 - and the $20 million contract was seen as a payback of sorts.
"When you deal with a player like Dwyane at this stage in his career, it's just not eyeball to eyeball with me and Henry Thomas, his agent," Riley said. "It got a lot more personal in a good way because the owner got involved in it because that's how much we care about Dwyane."
With Wade locked up for another year and Chris Bosh on the mend from a possibly life-threatening medical episode, Riley believes the Heat are full-on title contenders.
"I think this team has all of the elements of a championship team," he said. "I think this team has the opportunity and the possibilities of being a contender. I'm excited about this season."
The Heat will also have both Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside available for a full season, something not the case a year ago. While James' Cleveland Cavaliers remain the clear-cut favorite in the Eastern Conference, the Heat are a consensus next-level contender.
It probably wouldn't be a reach to assume Riley would love a crack at the Cavs in next spring's playoffs.