The question of the Heat being “stuck” in their ways when acquiring free agents has discussed among fans, as the team has “made either no effort or little effort to acquire several players who might have helped in recent years because of off-court baggage, questions about their coachability or their contracts,” according to Barry Jackson of the MIAMI HERALD. The Heat “decided not to try to acquire” Suns G Bradley Beal last summer “because of his no-trade clause.” The team also was “hesitant to aggressively pursue” Mavericks G Kyrie Irving when the Nets made him available. A source directly involved with free agent G Kyle Lowry said that the Heat “assured Lowry -- two years ago -- that he would not be traded for Irving.” Heat President Pat Riley has “emphasized that ownership wants to win” but said he is “not going to bring them something that’s going to make us a little bit better and cost us a lot more” in terms of tax and assets, as “opposed to something that makes them much better.” Riley said that there are “two or three players in the league who would get the Heat to ‘go for it, shoot the moon.’” Jackson: “Being that selective requires patience. And for the fan base, that patience is being tested” (MIAMI HERALD, 7/1).
