The Miami Heat seem to always see their names thrown in the mix when it comes to trade rumors and player acquisitions. It’s been something that’s been a trend for a long time.
While the reason for that has a lot to do with Pat Riley and the allure of Miami, the Heat are typically a winning organization. There is also the fact that when you consider all of this, throwing their name out there is a great piece of leverage for whomever the party of concern is at the time.
For instance, when a player is mentioned with the Miami Heat in reference to a potential partnership being formed between the two, the other suitors quickly step up—because they know that it’s always a threat when the Heat and Pat Riley are involved.
In a lot of cases, the best guess is to assume the player or his representation used that to get the preferred team to move quicker or something else associated with a preferred deal.