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NBA Trade 2017 Latest News & Update: Miami Heat Stays Put, Pat Riley Sticking To Current Crew For Now
Contrary to initial reports, the Miami Heat didn’t make any moves at the NBA trade deadline. Players like Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington and Josh McRoberts were suggested as possible trade bait, but no one got dealt when the bell sounded.
Heat president Pat Riley, later on, said that the Heat never came close to pulling a trade and that he is eager to see first what the current lineup can come up with for the remainder of the season. While that may sound like good news for the current Heat players, it also serves as a warning that evaluation will be done after the 2016-17 NBA season is over, the Miami Herald reported.
From the looks of it, Riley is staying as calm as possible. The Heat is 25-32 in the Easter Conference and have a fair chance of catching the last bus to the NBA playoffs. Ahead of them are the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks where a string of wins could catapult them to as high as the sixth seed. This is one push that Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra will be keeping a close eye on.
The atmosphere within the Miami Heat is expected to change as they try to aim for a playoff seed. Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside will once again be pressed, same with the other teams that Riley has kept his faith in. Dion Waiters is another player who is expected to step up, more so because he is set to hit free agency in the Summer.
It was actually this angle that led to Dion Waiters being possible NBA trade bait, Heat Nation reported. With the guard joining the frenzied free agent mix, the Heat could consider getting someone and avoid being empty-handed. He is averaging 15.9 points and 4.3 assists in 34 games though the numbers have improved to just over 22 games in recent games.
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