Even though it would be considered a huge shock, there's a non-zero chance that the Miami Heat could make a move for LeBron James within the next year. If that were to happen, though, it would certainly force Pat Riley into a truly uncomfortable situation.
Back when LeBron left the Heat for Cleveland in 2014, there was no question that it left some hard feelings between the two sides. Riley was reportedly disrespected during their final meeting together, and it's been anything but smooth sailing between the two sides since.
This narrative grew so much that there was even a belief that the Heat organization was discouraged from working with players associated with Klutch Sports because of it.
Even though there have been signs of healing (and perhaps forgiveness) from the two sides, it'd still put Riley in a very awkward situation overall. You'd imagine that there's still some mending of fences that would have to be made between Riley and LeBron's camp.
Could the Heat swing a move for LeBron?
Of course, none of that truly matters unless there's a realistic shot that the Heat could make a move for LeBron. And logistically speaking, there is. In a theoretical situation, the Heat have what it would take to land LeBron via trade.
The Lakers wouldn't want to take on a ton of salary and would much rather get a starting-caliber player, expiring contracts, and perhaps a draft asset or two. The Heat has that lined up perfectly.
And if LeBron is looking for some familiarity as he prepares to end his career, the Heat could offer him that. The fractured relationships aside, the Heat consistently offered LeBron the opportunity to compete at the highest level all four years.
Maybe Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are no longer here, but Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo would be a solid supporting core around him. As a duo, they're probably better than most of what LeBron has had to work with during his time in Los Angeles.
The likely path forward for the Heat
Still, it does seem pretty outlandish for all this to come to fruition. Even though it may make sense on paper, it'd be truly shocking if LeBron actually left Los Angeles in-season. Maybe LeBron tests free agency after this season, but in that case, the entire NBA would be in play.
Under those circumstances, it would be odd for LeBron to choose to sign with the Heat over a team in a better position to compete for a championship.
And maybe that's what Riley is hoping for most, which would successfully allow him to side-step an honest face-to-face confrontation with arguably the biggest disappointment of his front-office career.