- 7/2/2025
Solana rants following a very quiet Heat free agency leading to a ton of 'Fire Riley' tweets over the past few days.
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00:00All right, so let's get into the heat's playing.
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00:28All right, so again, I'm just reading in the Miami Herald from Barry Jackson.
00:35And it's titled,
00:36What is Heat's Plan to Get Back to Championship Contention?
00:40Some insight on their thinking.
00:43All anyone wants is a plan.
00:46The angry social media mob of Heat fans who demand action,
00:50any transaction at all.
00:52The ones who aren't appeased by the two finals appearances this decade
00:56want a plan.
00:58The significant segment of fans who do appreciate the seven finals appearances
01:04this century and how the organization fields a relevant professional product
01:09most every year also want a plan.
01:12It's reasonable for any fan to expect a clearly conveyed plan
01:17after a disappointing start to the offseason
01:20in the wake of an embarrassing first-round sweep against Cleveland.
01:24It's reasonable, Barry Jackson writes,
01:27to expect an explanation when Miami still has 13 of the 15 players
01:32that were on the team at the end of a 37-45 season
01:36and after team president Pat Riley said in May that,
01:39quote,
01:39I think we do have to make changes.
01:41There's no doubt.
01:42There has to be some change.
01:43Though it hasn't been publicly stated,
01:46the Heat actually has a plan.
01:49And it's probably the most realistic one at this point,
01:52even though it will be unsatisfying to some.
01:56So here we go.
01:57Again,
01:58MiamiHerald.com.
01:59According to people with direct knowledge,
02:01Miami's intention is to,
02:03quote,
02:03let our young guys show what they can do
02:06and see what this team looks like
02:08with Eric Spolster having a full training camp
02:11with the Jimmy Butler distraction in the rearview mirror
02:14and with first-round pick,
02:16Kasperis Yakuchonis or KJ or Kaz
02:19added to a core.
02:21I threw that in there, by the way.
02:22I like Kaz.
02:24Barry Jackson did not,
02:25but I did.
02:27Added to a core of young players
02:29that the organization believes has a high upside.
02:31Part two of the plan
02:34is to try to quickly pounce
02:36if an in-his-prime star
02:40or very-good player
02:41becomes available in the trade market.
02:43And then he goes on to point out
02:45it has been widely reported
02:46that Giannis Antetokounmpo
02:47will be a Heat target
02:48if he asks out of Milwaukee.
02:50That's very unlikely.
02:52Whether the Heat has enough assets
02:54to compete with the likes of Houston,
02:56the Spurs,
02:56the Knicks
02:57in a bid for the two-time MVP
02:59remains questionable.
03:00And then, Barry,
03:02I really do recommend
03:03that everybody go and read this article
03:06because I think Barry does an excellent job
03:08at not only reporting on the situation,
03:11but also kind of laying out
03:14what Miami could have to offer,
03:17what best-case scenario would be
03:19in terms of this year
03:20with young players
03:21kind of taking that next step.
03:23We don't have time to read the whole thing,
03:25but Crowder,
03:25I think Barry,
03:26in a much more eloquent way,
03:28kind of states what I've been saying,
03:30which is
03:31the Miami Heat
03:33believe,
03:35and look,
03:35whether you agree with this or not,
03:36it's fine.
03:37You can disagree.
03:38But the Miami Heat believe
03:40that it is in their best interest
03:43right now
03:43based on what has been made available to them
03:46and based on
03:47what is genuinely available out there
03:50to remain flexible,
03:52keep Tyler Hero and Bam Adebayo,
03:54and try to give their young guys
03:58more opportunity to play.
03:59And how we know that
04:00is because they didn't trade
04:01any of their young guys
04:02for Kevin Durant.
04:05So they made that decision.
04:07We'd rather play our young guys.
04:09We'd rather keep them.
04:10We'd rather remain flexible
04:11for the upcoming offseason
04:13where we're going to be a team
04:14under the cap
04:15and we're going to have options
04:18rather than trade for a 37-year-old
04:21and pay him $100-plus million
04:23over two years
04:24to be a team
04:26that maybe has a chance
04:27to compete in the East.
04:28Maybe.
04:29And that is their plan
04:31because what's frustrated me
04:33throughout this entire process,
04:34Crowder and Appel,
04:35is not that fans
04:37want a better team.
04:39I agree.
04:40You think I want to leave
04:41the Kaseya Center
04:41and watch the Heat
04:43go under .500 at home,
04:45lose 10 straight in March,
04:46and then literally get blown out
04:48in the most humiliating fashion
04:49I've ever seen a professional team
04:50go out on their home floor
04:52in the playoffs?
04:53Like, no.
04:54But I also don't want the Heat
04:56to just make acquisitions
04:59and make transactions
05:01for the sake of doing it.
05:03And I think that is where,
05:05you know, it gets conflated.
05:06People on social media
05:08want the team to be better.
05:09Awesome.
05:10But they also just want acquisitions.
05:12They want news.
05:13They want Shams to tweet
05:15about the Miami Heat.
05:16And while, yes, that's fun.
05:18Don't get me wrong.
05:19That's fun.
05:21It's not always
05:23the best-case scenario
05:25when you're in a tough position
05:27like the Miami Heat are.
05:29And I think right now
05:30the better option
05:31is to do what they're doing.
05:33Even though we don't want to see it.
05:35Even though nobody wants
05:36to see them run it back.
05:37I'm with you.
05:38It's the better option
05:39if it means being flexible
05:42when the next superstar
05:44is available.
05:45What, Solana?
05:46We've made a lot of advice today
05:47giving Josh, you know,
05:49baby advice.
05:49Right.
05:50You know, different advices
05:51about life.
05:52It's an old saying.
05:54What it takes to get them
05:55is what it takes to keep them.
05:57So the Heat fans
05:58are used to us
05:59being involved
06:00in every talk,
06:01being involved
06:01in every offseason,
06:03being involved
06:03in every acquisition.
06:05Pat's out there
06:05doing his thing.
06:06Pat's going to get
06:07to sit down with KD
06:07or sit down with Giannis
06:08or sit down with Braun
06:09or sit down with anybody.
06:12And so that's what got
06:13Heat fans loving it.
06:14Championships
06:15and being involved
06:16in every single acquisition.
06:18Wanting to be a part
06:19of Sham's Twitter feed
06:21because we know
06:22that Pat's out there working.
06:23Now you can't say,
06:25let's stay flexible.
06:26It sounds lame.
06:28I understand what it is
06:30and you laid it out perfectly
06:31and what was it?
06:32That was Barry Jackson.
06:33Barry laid it out perfectly.
06:35But that's not how
06:36you sold me on the Heat
06:37when I got there in 05.
06:38You sold me on the Heat
06:39in 05.
06:4006, you went and got Shaq.
06:41Then we had the big three.
06:43Then you went and got Jimmy,
06:44which I didn't believe in
06:45and we went to two finals.
06:46That's what got me
06:47to become a Heat fan.
06:48Don't say,
06:49you can't sell me.
06:50I'm talking personally
06:51me now, Solana.
06:52Don't sell me
06:53on 2027 flexibility
06:55because now we're
06:57running it back.
06:58But on the other side too,
06:59we brought it up earlier.
07:01Halliburton, Siakam,
07:02Nimhard, Naismith.
07:03What's the little
07:04itchy-bitchy spider?
07:06McDowell, McDonnell,
07:08the little white boy?
07:09McDonald.
07:10McConnell.
07:11McConnell, yeah.
07:11T.J. McConnell.
07:12McConnell,
07:14the dude that went crazy,
07:15Matherin.
07:16Those guys,
07:17could we do that?
07:18That would be
07:19the upside of
07:20I did not know
07:21Naismith's name
07:22until the finals.
07:22I didn't know
07:23who Nimhard was.
07:24I didn't know
07:25I still don't know
07:26T.J. McConnell's name.
07:27Obviously, I had to ask you.
07:28Is that what we're
07:29trying to push towards
07:30because that's
07:31what it would be?
07:31Obi Toppin?
07:33Obi Toppin is putting
07:34in big minutes?
07:35Is that what we're
07:36pushing towards
07:36because I'm not used
07:37to try to build
07:38a team like that.
07:39I got down here in 05
07:40for 21 years
07:41being here, Solana.
07:42You got me with it.
07:44You can't tell me
07:44we're trying to have
07:45cap flexibility
07:47in two years.
07:48I can't deal with that
07:49and I think I'm speaking
07:50for a lot of Heat fans.
07:51It's definitely a tough sell
07:52when they were involved
07:55in Kevin Durant.
07:56They were involved
07:56in Damian Lillard
07:57and so it's easy
07:58to say now
07:59when those deals
08:00and those offers
08:01get turned down
08:01that oh now
08:02now we're pivoting
08:03and we're going to wait
08:04till 26, 27
08:05the following offseason
08:07but I think
08:07it was Tobin
08:08who made this point.
08:09It's that if you believe
08:10in these young guys
08:11and you think so highly
08:12of them that you are
08:13going to hang on to them
08:14and not trade them away
08:15because adding one guy
08:16is too much to handle
08:18and too much to stomach
08:18parting ways with,
08:19commit to it
08:20and let them play
08:21through their mistakes
08:22and let them learn
08:23on the court, right?
08:24Like that's the biggest
08:25frustration I think
08:26is that if what they say
08:27publicly about believing
08:28in these guys
08:29isn't backed up
08:30with the amount
08:30they're actually getting
08:31time on the court playing.
08:33Yeah, I'm with you.
08:34Those guys,
08:35Niko Jovic and Kala Ware
08:36specifically,
08:37those two
08:38because Jaime
08:39you're kind of just hoping
08:40hey, sophomore slump
08:42he was dealing with injury
08:43and like hopefully
08:44Niko Jovic
08:46and Kala Ware
08:48don't do that.
08:50Those two guys,
08:52those two guys
08:52have to play
08:5425 plus minutes
08:55per game next season.
08:57Let them play forward.
08:59And they also,
09:00they have to have
09:01good seasons too.
09:02I'm not saying
09:03they have to be all stars
09:03but they have to have
09:05good seasons
09:05because you,
09:06you,
09:06you drew your line
09:07in the sand
09:07like hey,
09:08we're not willing
09:09to give up these guys
09:10unless it means Giannis,
09:11right?
09:11Like unless it really means
09:13one of the top stars
09:15in the NBA.
09:15The reason why
09:17I thought Barry
09:18you know,
09:21does a really good job here
09:22is because he outlines
09:23like hey,
09:24there's a plan.
09:24Don't get it twisted.
09:25I've heard a lot of people say
09:26oh,
09:27Pat has no plan.
09:28Like Pat
09:28is just whiffing on guys.
09:31Dude,
09:31they,
09:32it's ridiculous
09:33to think that
09:34everybody in that room
09:36because of
09:36of two
09:37frustrating ass years
09:39don't get me wrong.
09:40They should have known
09:40Jimmy Butler
09:41was going to make a stink.
09:42They should have traded him.
09:44The fact that the last
09:45free agent
09:46that they signed
09:47is Kyle Lowry
09:48or traded for
09:48is,
09:49is hard to swallow.
09:51Um,
09:51they're,
09:52they've made mistakes.
09:53I'm not saying
09:54that this front office
09:54should not be criticized.
09:56They should.
09:57Being a 37 win team
09:59is embarrassing.
10:00Three years
10:01in the playing tournament
10:02even though one ends up
10:03being a finals run
10:04is embarrassing.
10:05Like that's not
10:05the standard here.
10:06It shouldn't be,
10:07it shouldn't be accepted.
10:08But for people
10:09to sit here
10:10on social media
10:12the past couple days
10:12and be frustrated
10:15fine.
10:15But to sit there
10:16and say
10:17Pat Riley's washed
10:18Pat Riley
10:19doesn't know
10:20how the NBA
10:20works anymore.
10:21In my,
10:22I'm just not going
10:23to buy into that.
10:24I'm sorry.
10:25Have they whiffed?
10:26Sure.
10:27Should they have
10:27made different decisions?
10:29Sure.
10:30Bro,
10:31this team
10:32in my lifetime
10:33with that ownership
10:35and with that leadership
10:37has been the most
10:39successful team
10:40in Miami
10:41in my lifetime.
10:43And now,
10:44kudos to Bill Zito
10:44and the Panthers.
10:45They deserve
10:46all the love right now.
10:48But because of
10:49two bad years
10:50you're going to punt
10:50on Pat Riley?
10:51I'm sorry.
10:52I don't understand that.
10:53And I won't.
10:54And I'm not going to
10:55do the thing
10:56that everybody's doing
10:56on social media
10:57because it's a cool thing
10:58to do right now
10:58which is call for
10:59Pat Riley to step down.
11:00I refuse to do that.
11:02That to me is asinine.
11:04Five years from now
11:05if you're still
11:05in the same situation
11:06or three years from now
11:07or two years from now
11:08you're still in the same situation
11:09then okay
11:11let's have the conversation
11:12but because of two bad years
11:14after you went to
11:15two NBA finals
11:16and three Eastern Conference finals
11:18in a span of five years
11:19which by the way
11:20followed a stretch
11:23where people were all
11:24saying the same thing.
11:25I remember
11:25they paid Deion
11:27and James Johnson
11:27and Son Whiteside.
11:29Everybody
11:29including myself
11:30was upset
11:31with how they handled
11:31the weight thing.
11:32People were calling
11:33for Pat
11:35to step down
11:35back then too
11:36and what ended up happening
11:37what followed it
11:38three Eastern Conference
11:41finals appearance
11:42and you went
11:44to two NBA finals.
11:46Yeah
11:47to step down
11:47and who's good
11:48I always say
11:49you know what
11:49just goes back
11:50to where the Knicks
11:50about to hire Mike Brown
11:52we hate Thibodeau
11:53hate Thibodeau
11:54okay fire him
11:55what were they
11:56they were head coachless
11:57for a month
11:58yeah
11:59who's gonna replace
12:01Pat Riley
12:01nobody wants to
12:02replace Pat Riley
12:03you're gonna fail
12:05it's ridiculous
12:05I refuse
12:06I refuse
12:07there's gonna be
12:07a lot of people
12:08who are gonna be like
12:09oh you're just
12:10caping up in the heat
12:11and I refuse
12:12to sit here today
12:13of all days
12:14and I'm frustrated
12:15bro I'm frustrated
12:16as hell
12:16I love Duncan
12:17and they move on
12:18from Duncan
12:19for Simone Fontecchio
12:20and I'm not necessarily
12:21thrilled
12:22I don't love
12:23the deal
12:24all I know about
12:25Simone Fontecchio
12:26is that right
12:27he's Italian
12:27like Appel's doing
12:28and he lit the heat up
12:30back in 2023
12:31for 23 points
12:32which is a career high
12:33for him
12:33and he's a streaky shooter
12:35and you know
12:36you fill in that gap
12:38the heat
12:39as it sits today
12:40I don't love
12:42this roster
12:43nobody should
12:44they were 37
12:45win team last year
12:46but if you genuinely
12:48believe
12:48that with a full
12:49offseason's work
12:51Andrew Wiggins
12:52gonna come back
12:52and look as bad
12:53as he did last year
12:54then you know
12:55you genuinely
12:57you want this team
12:58to fail
12:58so that it proves
12:59your narrative right
13:00I'm not buying it man
13:02I don't think
13:03they're a championship
13:03contender
13:04I'm cool
13:05if they're shopping
13:06Wiggins
13:06if they're shopping
13:07Rozier
13:07I'm cool with that
13:09go make this team better
13:10I don't want them
13:11to run it back
13:12but if they do
13:14I'm not at that point
13:16where I'm calling
13:16for Riley's head
13:17like heat fans
13:18they're out of their mind
13:20and to the people
13:21who are saying
13:21nobody's gonna show up
13:22next season
13:23that's crazy
13:24I mean bro
13:25the Dolphins haven't won
13:26a playoff game
13:27in 25 years
13:29and people go
13:30you know why
13:31because the Dolphins
13:32I get it's the NFL
13:33but the Dolphins
13:35built something
13:35extraordinarily special
13:37Crowder
13:38in the 70s
13:39the 80s
13:40and even in the 90s
13:41with Marino
13:41they built something
13:42extraordinary
13:43extraordinarily special
13:45and people love that
13:46and they hold on to that
13:47and they cherish it
13:48so they're gonna be
13:49Dolphins fans
13:50it is what it is
13:51despite 25 years
13:53of a franchise
13:54that has been run
13:55incorrectly
13:56no offense to your
13:571-15 team
13:58hey
13:59so now you're telling me
14:0120 plus years
14:03of the Heat
14:04building something
14:05extraordinary
14:05something that's rare
14:07they've gained equity
14:08in this town
14:09they should have
14:10because of three seasons
14:11which one
14:12you were in the NBA
14:13finals
14:14that have been frustrating
14:15people are gonna punt
14:17on this organization
14:19I'm sorry
14:20there's a difference
14:21between
14:21expecting a standard
14:23which I'm
14:24I'm with you
14:25there should be a standard
14:26that is upheld
14:27which is championship
14:29or bust
14:29and saying
14:30hey they've gone
14:31through two bad years
14:32get the old man
14:33out of here
14:34and I'm
14:34I'm not
14:35I'm nowhere
14:35I'm
14:36I'm
14:36nowhere
14:37near
14:37there
14:37nowhere
14:38near
14:39there
14:39yet
14:39absolutely
14:40nowhere
14:40near
14:40I think a lot
14:41of people need
14:42to come back
14:42to reality
14:42because Pat Riley
14:44is going to decide
14:45when he's done
14:46running the Miami Heat
14:47he is not going to be told
14:48hey it's time for you
14:49to retire
14:50so you're just
14:51wasting breath
14:51in trying to get him
14:53we're talking about
14:55we're talking about
14:56literally like
14:57one of
14:58right
14:59his resume speaks
15:00for itself
15:00fine
15:00but we're talking
15:01about somebody
15:02who
15:03literally
15:04is known
15:05for being
15:06a psychopath
15:06when it comes
15:07to just how
15:08he handles
15:08business
15:09and he hasn't
15:09been
15:09lately
15:10that's fair
15:11granted
15:11this guy
15:13you think
15:14Pat Riley
15:14wants to go out
15:16on
15:17these terms
15:18no like
15:19you think
15:20he's not
15:21trading for
15:21Durant
15:22because
15:22he's just
15:23bored
15:23or he's
15:24he's
15:25fishing
15:26it's Mahi season
15:27he's just hanging out
15:28I just don't
15:28understand
15:28I don't understand
15:30the rationale
15:30I truthfully
15:32in my heart
15:33of hearts
15:33I believe
15:34fans
15:35are more
15:37preoccupied
15:39with push
15:40notifications
15:41than they are
15:43with the reality
15:45and just being
15:46rational about
15:47a situation
15:48I'm glad you said
15:49push notification
15:49I hope this is
15:50the loud minority
15:53with the foolishness
15:54of saying
15:55get rid of Pat
15:56now after two years
15:57get rid of Pat
15:58I thought about it
15:59when you were talking
16:00about people saying
16:00fire Pat
16:02I'm like
16:02fire Pat Riley
16:03the best executive
16:04NBA history
16:04yeah
16:05Chaz
16:06my five-year-old
16:07if I yell at him
16:08or I won't let him
16:09eat a popsicle
16:10he says
16:11which is funny to me
16:12I'm gonna go live
16:13with Michael Jordan
16:14and that's his thing
16:16is that he knows
16:17you know
16:17Michael Jordan
16:18he has all the shoes
16:19and so Michael Jordan
16:20is like the greatest
16:20thing in his mind
16:21and he's a better
16:22person than me
16:23because he's
16:23Michael Jordan
16:24and he says
16:24I'm gonna go
16:25you're not doing
16:26what I want you to do
16:27daddy
16:27I want to go live
16:28with Michael Jordan
16:28it's kind of like
16:30these fans are children
16:31oh I
16:32we didn't get KD
16:33well we need to fire
16:34everybody to move on
16:35no you don't
16:36you need to
16:36trust the process
16:37you need to work off
16:38the equity
16:39you're talking about
16:39of 20 years
16:40and championships
16:41and
16:41and
16:42and
16:42what is it
16:43the Wade one
16:44the two with
16:45the three with Wade
16:46one with Shaq
16:46two with LeBron
16:47and them boys
16:48and then the
16:49appearances with Jimmy
16:50he is going to
16:52figure it out
16:52what's the difference
16:54between
16:54you brought it up
16:55the James Johnson
16:56the 41 and 41 year
16:57in these last two years
16:59people were pissed then
17:00we're riding with
17:01James Johnson
17:02Dion Waiters
17:02and
17:03that's all he could
17:04do at that moment
17:05then he went and
17:06figured it out
17:06why can't you do it again
17:08stop being goldfish
17:10if you're hungry
17:11you haven't been
17:11hungry forever
17:12like goldfish mind
17:14sports fans
17:15goldfish
17:16if they're hungry
17:16they've been hungry
17:17their whole life
17:17if they're full
17:18they've been full
17:18their whole life
17:19don't be a goldfish fan
17:21really look at
17:22the whole totality of it
17:23we're in a great
17:24situation with the
17:24Miami Heat
17:25Pat Riley
17:26and the damn
17:27the owner
17:28the GM
17:29the head coach
17:30we have
17:30I would say
17:32probably the best
17:33is it the best
17:34tower
17:36in the NBA
17:37an owner that's
17:39going to spend money
17:39a Hall of Fame
17:41general manager
17:42and a Hall of Fame
17:43head coach
17:43that's what you want
17:44yeah
17:45and you know
17:45what drives me nuts
17:46people are like
17:47oh Mickey Harrison's cheap
17:48he doesn't want to spend money
17:49and I'm sitting here
17:50I'm saying
17:50bro
17:51they tried to get
17:53Damian Lillard
17:54they
17:54they tried to get
17:56Damian Lillard
17:56Joe Cronin
17:58his dumbass
17:59didn't want to deal
18:01with the Miami Heat
18:02how's that
18:04how's that the Heat's
18:04front office
18:05how's that their fault
18:06that's Mickey Harrison
18:08he's cheap
18:09he don't want to
18:09bro
18:11instead
18:12Joe Cronin
18:13not only tanked
18:14his franchise
18:14he tanked the Heat
18:15and he tanked
18:16the stupid Bucs
18:17he tanked everybody
18:18and now here we are
18:19two years later
18:20Dame is getting
18:21waved by the Bucs
18:22which he never
18:23wanted to be there
18:24in the first place
18:25and Drew Holiday
18:27is making
18:2730 million dollars
18:28a year
18:2927 whatever
18:30to play on a
18:31bum ass
18:32Blazers team
18:32makes no sense
18:34makes no sense
18:35anyways
18:37thanks for letting me
18:40rant a little
18:40it's okay
18:41you get very passionate
18:42I saw it in your eyes
18:43nah I mean
18:43I saw it in your eyes man
18:44you good
18:45you good
18:46I'm pissed off
18:47too man
18:47I want the heat
18:48to be good
18:49I want the heat
18:49to be good
18:50your bottom lip
18:51is dry
18:51yeah
18:52it is very dry
18:53I don't have
18:54water
18:54you need something
18:55that thing's about
18:56to bleed here
18:56in a second
18:57I got chapstick
19:00but you have
19:01you probably
19:02I know you got mono
19:03would we share
19:03would you share chapstick
19:04with me
19:05no
19:05would you share chapstick
19:06with me
19:06no no no
19:07would you share chapstick
19:08with me
19:08absolutely not
19:09I got you
19:11you would share
19:13with me a pal
19:13absolutely
19:14if you need a chapstick
19:15I got you
19:15you would
19:16just rub
19:17on his lips
19:18and then back
19:19on your lips
19:20oh y'all let dogs
19:21kiss y'all in the mouth
19:21never mind
19:22never mind
19:24y'all a nasty mouth
19:25pick up your dog's poop
19:27no jack
19:28I don't play it
19:28I don't dabble in feces
19:30if you uh
19:31you don't know
19:32what we're talking about
19:33use the odyssey app
19:34I don't want to get back
19:36into that
19:36I don't care
19:38you
19:40you
19:40you
19:41you
19:42you
19:42you
19:43you
19:43you
19:44you
19:44you
19:46you
19:47you
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