Pat Riley apparently has no soft spot in his heart for his former team and the superstar who won two championships with him. The Lakers reportedly have been interested in trading for Andrew Wiggins to add star power to their roster.
But, according to sources, Pat Riley is very unlikely to help his former team by letting Wiggins do so, solely due to LeBron James. An NBA executive has reportedly claimed that Riley has a bone to pick with James over his exit from the Heat.
“I would be stunned if Pat did this trade. You really think Pat wants to help LeBron [James]? He’s still mad about LeBron leaving Miami. I don’t see it happening,” said the executive anonymously.
This did not sit well with NBA fans, who believed that Riley was being petty if this report is true. They took to social media and expressed their unhappiness at this report.
“Salty a** old man ain’t ever winning a chip, ur on borrowed time anyway,” said a frustrated Lakers fan who felt Riley’s time at the helm for the Heat should be over soon.
“Pat Riley has run this franchise to the ground. Always hesitant to make the right trades.”
“Dude is so salty he won’t benefit his own team.”
“Pat wants more than Dalton Knecht and trash for Wiggins.”
“Why would Riley do anything that helps LeBron at this point.”
“Time to retire, old man.”
Despite eight NBA championships in different capacities, 80-year-old Riley is still considered to be one of the most competitive executives in the league. But he hasn’t seen any silverware since James left the Heat, and the executive believes he’s still unhappy about it.
But in my opinion, Riley may not be so petty that he doesn’t even consider an offer that might benefit his own team in terms of business. The Heat currently has leverage in this situation because it is the Lakers who need a player like Wiggins and need to convince the front office to let him go.
The former NBA champion was traded to the Heat in February 2025 as part of the trade package that brought Jimmy Butler to the Warriors. He averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 37.4% from beyond the arc in 2024-25
Wiggins is deemed to be a perfect combination of athleticism and shooting to become a threat on both ends of the floor. Having him as the fourth option would be the perfect next step for the Lakers in building around Luka Doncic.
Earlier this summer, the Miami Heat topped a list of the “dirtiest” NBA teams in the last decade, mainly due to the player suspensions they have inflicted during this time. While I did not agree with the results of the list, it shows that James leaving the Heat marked a significant change in the way things have worked for the Florida-based franchise.
The anonymous NBA executive’s opinion might be slightly flawed, but it indicates a strained relationship between Riley, James, and his former team, the Lakers. Therefore, the Lakers will have to make an offer that the Heat will find hard to refuse to convince them to let Wiggins go.
While Riley may not be completely averse to the idea of trading Wiggins, an offer that includes a first-round pick alongside promising young players like Dalton Knecht and Rui Hachimura would be the perfect potential package for Wiggins.
But do you think the executive is right about Riley? Will he intentionally make it much harder for the Lakers to get their desired target? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
