Herro, Robinson not offered in deals

In the wake of the NBA trading deadline, Miami Heat President Pat Riley emphasized that his team’s involvement was about more than acquiring Victor Oladipo and Nemanja Bjelica.

He insisted it also was about protecting the future of Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson with his franchise.

“You can’t let go of those two assets, you can’t, because they could become truly great,” Riley said during a video media. “They’re very, very good players right now, and I think they’re probably a year or two away from making what their early max could be from a production standpoint.

“So I’d hate to have that come back at us if we were to do something and try to move them. But we’re not going to. So from that standpoint, what happened [Thursday] is you’re going to see Duncan, you’re going to see Tyler.”

The Heat attempted to reiterate that stance Friday, issuing a statement that Herro, Robinson and 2020 first-round pick Precious Achiuwa were “never offered,” but rather, “they were asked for, but an offer was never made.”

While Oladipo upgrades the Heat’s perimeter offense, making it, in Riley’s view, less reliant on 3-point shooting, and while Bjelica serves as what Riley termed a “facsimile” for Kelly Olynyk, who was dealt in the Oladipo trade, Riley indicated there could have been more.

But he also said that’s where the line was drawn with his team’s youth.

While not addressing directly the Heat’s negotiations with the

Toronto Raptors for Kyle Lowry, Riley made clear that the team drew a line with what was available from his team at the deadline.

“I think you have to be very conscious about what you do with your asset base and your youth, and what you have started to build the future of this team around,” he said, with Lowry going undealt. “We have a lot of very good young players, and you have to be very reluctant, in a way, to protect that asset base of young players.”

The Heat made two moves at the deadline, first acquiring outside-shooting power forward Bjelica from the Sacramento Kings for Chris Silva and Moe Harkless, and then adding Oladipo, the dynamic combo guard, from the

Houston Rockets for Olynyk and Avery Bradley, agreeing in that deal to swap first-round picks for a likely lower selection in the 2022 NBA draft.

Both Bjelica and Oladipo will become free agents at season’s end. But Riley said the team is living in the moment with both, seeing what comes of the acquisitions.

“From the future standpoint,” he said, “we’re going to let the future take care of itself with the present moment.”

The two trades came in advance of the NBA buyout deadline, where the Heat are a frontrunner to add LaMarcus Aldridge, who was waived Thursday by the San Antonio Spurs.

“Whoever is bought out,” Riley said, “they’re going to have a lot of teams going after them.” He insisted there is no agreement in place with Aldridge for when the veteran forward clears waivers.

For now, Riley said he sees a Heat upgrade.

“I think Victor Oladipo will give us an entirely different kind of player than we have on our team. Victor gives you a slasher, and a runner, and a quick player, he’s a scorer,” Riley said.

“I think we kept everything that we needed in the cupboard, to cover our defense and our offense and special situations. We’ve got defenders. We’ve got shooters. We’ve got slashers. We’ve got leaders who can make plays.”

Riley spoke after the Heat dropped to 22-23, but said during such an unusual season, one played in the midst of a pandemic, even teams in the middle of the conference can contend.

“I’d watch out for us,” he said, then adding, “I like our chances.”