If Heat president Pat Riley has a major trade in mind, it probably won't come until after the start of training camp.
Speaking with reporters for the first time since days after the June draft, Riley said Thursday he expects to enter training camp with the team's nucleus intact. To be certain he heard my question correctly, Riley not only repeated, but placed an emphasis on the phrase "training camp."
What that likely means is a Heat roster than includes Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem and Michael Beasley would get at least a test run to see how well that core might mesh. Otherwise, that blockbuster deal many of us in the media - and you in blognation - have been expecting might take shape.
"Anything can happen," Riley said after unveiling an Olympic banner in honor of gold-medal winning Heat guard Dwyane Wade at AmericanAirlines Arena. "But I think this nucleus probably will go into training camp."
The Heat opens camp on Sept. 27 and will travel to Europe to play two of its seven preseason games. Training camp trades aren't new for Riley. Last October, the Heat dealt Antoine Walker, Wayne Simien, Michael Doleac and a first-round pick to Minnesota for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount two weeks into training camp.
Riley also addressed a few other Heat matters Thursday.
Summing up summer free agency, a time when the Heat acquired James Jones and Yakhouba Diawara, parted with Ricky Davis, Jason Williams and Earl Barron and re-upped with Dorell Wright:
"The only player that we didn't get that we wanted was Roger Mason (who left the Wizards to sign with the Spurs after visiting the Heat). Everybody else we wanted, we got."
On finding help at center, where the Heat has worked out Lorenzen Wright, Jamaal Magloire and D.J. Mbenga in recent days but has yet to settle on anyone:
"Now, we're just trying to fortify with pieces. We still need help in the post."
Riley also said the team continues to negotiate with restricted free agent point guard Chris Quinn, who was extended a 1-year, $1 million qualifying offer earlier this summer.
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