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Anthony Chiang: The Heat has strong interest in veteran guard Klay Thompson. The issue is he’s still under contract with the Mavericks, as he’s due $17.5 million in the final year of his contract. It appears that the Heat will remain patient in filling out the rest of its roster to give Thompson time to possibly shake free through a buyout agreement. While a trade for Thompson is also possible, it would be challenging to pull off considering the only three players on the Heat’s current roster able to be traded for Thompson in a one-for-one deal are Nikola Jovic, Davion Mitchell and Bobby Portis. The cleaner path is for the Mavericks to eventually agree to a buyout with Thompson, with Thompson hypothetically giving up $7 million of his current salary to become a free agent. The Heat can then make up the difference on the money Thompson gave up by using the rest of its midlevel exception to offer him a $7 million salary for this upcoming season.
Heat Central: Bobby Portis says he tried to pay Pelle Larsson for number 9 💀 “One of my teammates has my number. Number 9. He said it was super sentimental to his family and everybody wore number 9. I tried to pay him for it, he still didn’t want the money”
Heat Central: Bobby Portis says he was in Miami when he found out he got traded to the Heat: “Some guys get drafted to their favorite team or guys sign with their favorite team. I haven’t played with my favorite team yet. So getting a chance to get traded to my favorite team was like surreal to me. I was in Miami too when I got traded to Miami. That was fire. — We was outside chillin for like 10-15 minutes. I walk into the house and the GM is calling me. Right when I picked the phone up the whole house start screaming. It was crazy. That whole day I had fans telling me it was going to happen”
Heat Central: Bobby Portis on getting traded with Giannis to the Miami Heat: “It’s fun being able to still play with Giannis. We have a great relationship on and off the court. It’s kind of cool going to a new situation with somebody that you’re super familiar with. I think that’ll make my transition real smooth. — I rock with Gianni. Gianni a good dude. He always showed love to me since day 1. — I remember after we won the chip the first thing he told our GM and owner ‘We gotta sign Bobby back! We gotta sign Bobby back!’”
Klutch Sports Group, led by Rich Paul, thought it would be “super easy” to get the Cavaliers or Warriors to trade for Davis, sources said. Since that’s not the case, the Heat have emerged as the leader to sign James since Miami doesn’t have to trade for Davis. The team already has Antetokounmpo and Adebayo and strong role players in Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr.
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Antetokounmpo admitted how the endless trade rumors and speculation were “tiring,” but a fresh start begins for him in Miami, as Riley gave his end of that first phone call, noticing a “conviction” from the star to win another title. “I felt and heard the conviction in his voice about the same things that I wanted, that [Erik Spoelstra] wants, that the Arison family wants. He just talked about winning,” Riley said. “It was business right on that phone call, and he wants to win, and he wants to win big. We're not here guaranteeing anything, but we want to win, as Bobby [Portis] said this morning, the chip, and we're not waiting.”
If he goes to Miami or Philly, what do you make of the dynamic and fit with each team? Chalmers: “With Philly, I see him fitting perfectly with Jaylen Brown, [Tyrese] Maxey, and [Joel] Embiid. You have a ‘Big 4’ there. ‘Bron can play in that 3 or 4 position and also take Maxey off the ball. That will help him grow and become a better scorer, better player, and better playmaker. With Miami, I see LeBron being a starting point guard with Bam and Giannis right there on the side. They just got to get a couple of more shooters. They did a good job of getting Tim [Hardaway Jr]. Bobby Portis was a good pickup. So I feel like Philly is a win-win right now. I think Miami is a win, if you add a couple of more pieces. Then everything else follows. You got to add more pieces to Golden State. You got to add more pieces to Cleveland. I feel like Philly has everything. Miami is the second-best choice.”
Zach Weinberger: Bobby Portis Jr. on Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra saying how much they wanted him on the #Heat. “It’s good to a legendary coach like Spo, and obviously Pat, who's a legend as well, to want me here…not just some throw-in piece that people may think, I ain't that.“
Heat Central: Bobby Portis on being a Heat fan his whole life, and conversations he had with Giannis about coming to Miami: “I’ve been a Heatle. I’ve been rocking with the Heat since the Mavericks and the Spurs in the finals. Ray Allen in the corner, Chris Bosh offensive rebound, pass out to the corner, bow! Everybody thought it was over with the ropes out. The conversations I had with Giannis has just always been about winning. Where can we go to win? How can we get another championship? Once you guys talk to him at 3 you’ll understand all he cares about is winning.”
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Anthony Chiang: Pat Riley: "For me personally, it's been three weeks of anxiety." On the wait between the trade being agreed to in late June and today's introductory press conferences.
Ira Winderman: Portis, "I was born to be a Heatle . . . one of my favorite teams growing up."
Heat Central: Bobby Portis explains what led to the face off with Spo and Udonis Haslem 💀 “Quite honest what I remember? Jimmy Butler was kicking our…. I can’t even say the bad word…. I remember coming here game 4 up 16 with 9 minutes left… then this guy just goes into straight flow state… Game 5 comes and I’m trying to fire my team up. Right after the timeout UD came up to me and got in my face which is kind of funny I’m here now.”
