Pat Riley: “I’d Like To Run This Thing Back”

Free agency officially begins this afternoon at 6 pm, and Miami may be involved quite a bit.

Most importantly they will look to retain Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder, which although some rumors have loomed, I have no doubt they will be back in a Miami Heat uniform next season.

Pat Riley mentioned in his press conference the other night, “I’d like to run this thing back.” And well, that starts with retaining their key free agents.

This statement can be taken a few different ways, but I believe he was saying they want to run it back with their core. I don’t think that exactly pertains to a possible move trading away Kendrick Nunn or Kelly Olynyk.

But ultimately, every team in the Eastern Conference right now is scrambling trying to get better in any way they can, while Miami is sitting back watching.

And there’s a reason for that.

It is known that Pat Riley and company are never afraid to make the big trade to make the team better, but they make take a different approach this season. After reaching the NBA Finals, Pat is content with keeping the young and productive core that this team has, and rightfully so.

For one, I believe that showcases the bright futures of Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. Bam Adebayo is clearly untouchable, but Herro and Robinson seemed to have been thrown in some trade talks here and there throughout the off-season. But well, Pat isn’t giving these guys up for nothing, and he may not even give them up for something big.

There is a real and genuine tone in Pat Riley’s voice when he talks about the potential or production of his young players, and that is not always the case.

He is perfectly fine with “running it back,” and Heat fans should be too.

Possibly adding some role players, such as Wesley Matthews, may be the most attractive move right now, so we will see what happens this afternoon when Free Agency officially begins.