When the trades fly, will Heat be aboard?

MIAMI— Paul George wants to be a Laker, apparently sooner rather than later. Jimmy Butler seeminglywouldn’t mind being a Cavalier. LeBron James, however, might, after Cleveland’s general managerwasn’t retained. That evidently also has Kyrie Irving pondering his future. Just as the Knicks purportedly are doing with Kristaps Porzingis. And if Chris Paul isn’t exiting stage left for the Spurs, he could wind up opening a Clippers door for James.

All of that comes in thewake of the Celtics trading the first pick of Thursday’s NBA draft to the 76ers.

The bluster has reached the point where we ostensibly don’t even have time anymore for LaVar Ball.

If you didn’t knowbetter, it’s almost as if this all is some sort of tribute to lastweek’s passing of Stephen “Flounder” Furst and his iconic “AnimalHouse” line of, “Oh boy, is this great?”

Whether Pat Riley is saying the same is cloaked in typicalHeat confidentiality, but never confuse quiet for anything before a potential storm. Shortly after arriving to theHeat’s executive suite in 1995, Riley said nothingwas brewing, until Alonzo Mourningwas on a flight from Charlotte. Three months later, Rileywarned not to expect a trade at theNBA deadline, until roster upheaval landed TimHardaway. And on it has gone. Trading for Shaquille O’Neal. Signing James and Chris Bosh.

Heck, Riley even showed up atKevin Durant’s doorstep last summer without a contending roster or enough money to close a deal.

As it is, nobody does the offseason like theNBA. Andwe haven’t even gotten to the July 1 start of free agency and what might happen with GordonHayward, Blake Griffin, Kyle Lowry, or, for that matter howtheWarriors are going to make their cap mathwork with Durant and Stephen Curry.

The latest whirlwind is a prime example