The Miami Heat struck out on Gordon Hayward, adding to a growing list of free agency misses for the organization, but it isn’t time to panic.
Breaking News: Pat Riley has not lost his touch.
After missing out on this season’s biggest free agent Gordon Hayward, many began to wonder whether the Miami Heat are still a premiere destination for those seeking work in the summer. The fact remains that the Heat are, and always will be, one of the biggest players in free agency.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst proved a passive aggressive evaluation of Pat Riley’s free agency history, citing the departures of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade as well as failed attempts at Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge and Hayward over the last few years.
On the surface that appears to be a damning reflection on the current state of the Heat and Riley’s ability to lure big names since the departure of his masterpiece, the summer of 2010 that yielded Wade, James and Bosh. But the reality is that each of those alleged failures carry their own set of caveats.
James’ decision to return to Cleveland may have been premeditated. Meanwhile, the Heat offered Wade a $20 million contract before he bolted for Chicago after a war of ego with the organization. Riley’s dinner with Aldridge came with the Heat fully capped out, with just their mid-level exception to offer (plus a healthy Chris Bosh on the roster) and Durant considered Miami a longshot to begin with (he would wisely join a team that won 73 games).
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As for Hayward, the idea that the Heat would beat out the incumbent Utah Jazz and his former Butler coach Brad Stevens in Boston was fool’s gold.
By all accounts, the Heat wowed the Jazz forward, with agent Mark Bartelstein telling ESPN’s Ryen Russillo that Hayward called him after the meeting and said, “My god, I think this is the spot. I can’t imagine anything being better.”
The reality of NBA free agency is this: Teams will strike out far more than they will succeed. But the Heat will never forfeit their chance to take a swing knowing that they can offer the type of organizational structure and commitment to winning (no state income tax also helps) that is beneficial to big names looking for a change of scenery.
However, the downfall of championship expectations is that the Heat will be expected to land a big name sometime very soon, especially with the free agency class of 2018 including some of the biggest names in the sport, including LeBron James who seems to be positioning his chips for a potential exit. A meeting (which the Heat will most always get) will simply not be enough.
Perspective is important when it comes to the Heat’s free agency drought. The NBA landscape has shifted to give the incumbent team a further advantage with the addition of the “super max” contract and more All-NBA team incentives that widen the gap between what other teams can offer. That’s why Blake Griffin’s decision to return to Los Angeles was a swift one, and why Russell Westbrook will probably never be pried from Oklahoma City.
There are always exceptions too, like Hayward and Paul George (who was traded after telling the Pacers he wouldn’t return). In the future there will surely be others as powers align to challenge the Warriors’ throne, and the Miami Heat should never take themselves out of the running of top names in this league. To do so would be to forfeit those championship expectations Riley has built over his tenure with the team.
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Heat fans should not be discouraged with the Heat’s recent lack of success at hunting for “whales” or with the result of the team’s offseason that will yield a competitive squad a weak Eastern Conference. Riley will be back next summer and he might even have a surprise or two up his sleeve during the season.