The Miami Heat have chased Kevin Durant since the LeBron James era ended in 2014.
Could this be the year they finally complete a deal? NBA insider Ethan Skolnick of the Five Reasons Sports Network recently tackled the issue.
“This as been a decade-long obsessions for the Heat,” Skolnick said on his podcast.
Skolnick debated the topic with co-host Greg Sylvander.
RILEY STRIKES SUPER BOWL DEAL
It was reported earlier this week the Suns are willing to entertain trade offers for Durant. The Heat have made two pitches in the past 10 years. They tried in 2016 but he ended up choosing the Golden State Warriors after his Oklahoma City Thunder lost to them the previous season.
They then tried again after Durant was with the Brooklyn Nets. He requested a trade but landed with the Phoenix Suns instead.
Miami Heat team president Pat Riley could make a decent amount of money if the Super Bowl falls in his favor.
The Kansas City Chiefs will become the first team in the Super Bowl Era to three-peat if they defeat the Philadelphia Eagles. If you asked Pat Riley who he is favoring, his latest deal with the NFL suggests his rooting interest.
In August of 1989 Riles & Company, Inc., Riley’s corporate entity, successfully registered a trademark in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office —Registration Number 1552980— the phrase “three-peat.” Since, the only teams to three-peat are the Chicago Bulls (91′-93′, 96′-98′), the New York Yankees (98′-2000), and the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s.
The terms of the deal haven’t been revealed, but Finance Monthly reported Riley received $600,000 from the Chicago Bulls in 1998 when they completed a second three-peat. Adjusted for inflation the outcome would be $1.16 million as of December 2024. This deal could make Riley more $2 million if Patrick Mahomes leads the Chiefs to victory.
Riley has said he donates most of the trademark money to charity so a win for the Chiefs would also benefit others.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected]
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