A large contingent of Miami Heat fans has been down on Pat Riley and the team's front office of late. However, Riley has a unique opportunity for redemption if he can find a path toward landing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Of course, that will be a lot easier said than done. The Heat will certainly have its work cut out for it over the next few days. A path toward acquiring Giannis won't be easy. But, at the same time, it's not impossible.
And if Riley and the front office can put this difficult puzzle together, there's reason to believe the recent negative narrative that's been growing around him will change on a dime.
The Heat has been been building to this moment
This is the moment that Riley and the Heat have been waiting for. In holding back assets in other trade pursuits, that's not going to be the case in the team's chase of Giannis. Everything and anything needs to be on the table.
Sure, there are certain pieces that the Heat, in a perfect world, would like to hold out of a deal, but that can't be a qualifier this time around.
To a certain extent, it was understandable why that was the case in some of the other star pursuits for the Heat. But the front office won't be able to sell that this time around. Giannis is the superstar you sell out for. He's the player that you make the godfather offer for.
He's the player that Riley, in many ways, lives for. He's the reason why he hasn't retired yet, and part of why he was willing to take the pessimistic press for the past couple of years.
Because deep down, he knew there was a good chance that Giannis was going to eventually hit the trade block. After years of waiting, we have finally arrived. And Riley is preparing to make his best effort.
Whether that will be enough remains to be seen, but it's the business that Riley has succeeded in so much in the past. And he's going to get one more shot to prove himself again.
The Heat may have missed on Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant in their last two pursuits for a superstar player, but if they can find a way to trade for Giannis, Riley will have reestablished himself as the godfather in the NBA.
Perhaps most importantly, he will then be able to walk into the sunset (should he want), knowing that he left this Heat franchise in very good hands.