Over his decorated tenure, Pat Riley has brought over major names to the Miami Heat. But the Godfather described the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade as “three weeks of anxiety”. The Miami Heat President even shut down the notion that the two-time MVP played just 36 games last season and explained why it was the right price to pay for him.

“Well, it’s all in the eyes of the beholder (on trading four players and draft capital for Giannis),” said Riley to the media. ” Well, no, I think where he wanted to go. And, as far as what we gave up, we gave up a significant price. And he’s worth it. Period. That’s how I look at it. Those are three very good young players, four very good young players.

“One’s got a lot of experience. But the other three are very good young players with a huge upside. We don’t have to figure out with this player what his upside is. And he may not even have maxed out yet. Who knows? But, yeah, it was an easy decision. It was not an easy decision.”

To recap, the Heat traded Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, and significant draft capital. It included the No. 13 overall pick (Nate Ament) in the 2026 NBA Draft, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2030 pick swap, and a 2033 second-round pick.

Herro has established himself as an All-Star guard; Jaquez Jr. also had a breakout campaign and was a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Ware made his presence felt with his elite 7-foot stature.

But to secure the two-time MVP, Pat Riley felt it was the right price. While adding Giannis Antetokounmpo should have been a relief, for three weeks the President was anxious.

“But, for me personally, there’s been three weeks of anxiety,” Riley said. “Really, this thing went down on [June] 23rd. We made the deal. Couldn’t talk to anybody until the sixth, and then after the sixth, we could actually talk to somebody, talk to the players, and everything involved. So it’s been like three weeks of me. I’m here. We are here. We can formally introduce Bobby Portis and later on Giannis.”

And now that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been officially introduced, there is no doubt about his ability. In fact, Riley bluntly stated that “I’m not concerned about, you know, 30 games last year.”

Instead, the President praised the 31-year-old’s work and was excited about how the team performs next season.

In the Giannis trade, the Heat also acquired Bobby Portis Jr., and Riley even praised the latter. “It’s crucial to have a player like Bobby, that can play with somebody he’s played with for a long time, in Giannis, who knows Bam very well; they’re battling each other all the time.” Riley even added that with Giannis, Bam and Portis together, the Heat have “a very potent power rotation.”

So the anxiety is over; the Heat are looking forward to a new future with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Which might include LeBron James.

After Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pat Riley hopes for 22x All-Star

ESPN senior insider Shams Charania recently reported that there is “a focus on Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia” as James nears a decision on his future. Among these, the Heat can offer the maximum contract value up to $7 million.

The Cavs can offer either a $6.1 million tax midlevel exception or $3.9 million veteran minimum, depending on James Harden’s contract. Similarly, the 76ers can offer only the veteran minimum of $3.9 million.

“I don’t know, I’ll be honest with you,” Riley told the media about James forming another Big3 in Miami. “Obviously, we’ve had conversations with Rich, and they were very good. So if that happens and he wants to come to the ‘305,’ we got a golf course. The weather’s nice. Steve Kerr, same thing down here. And there’s no state tax. So that’s a little better than California.”

There have been pitches from players, coaches, even governors and mayors, with everyone looking to influence LeBron James’ decision. But it’s expected sooner rather than later. The Heat already have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, but adding the 22x All-Star will surely be the cherry on top.