The future of Miami Heat president Pat Riley is far from certain. After the Cavaliers swept the Heat in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs, many analysts urged Riley to step down from his post.
If Riley does quit the Heat, he could potentially return to the Lakers, the team where he started his coaching career. According to online sportsbook Bovada, the Lakers (+175) are the odds-on favorites to bring back Riley in a front-office role, followed by the Knicks (+275), Rockets (+375), Suns (+450) and Raptors (+1100).
The chatter of a Riley-Heat breakup intensified after Jimmy Butler III requested a trade out of the franchise. Furthermore, the Heat have suffered a first-round playoff exit in back-to-back seasons after reaching the 2023 NBA Finals.
Should Pat Riley Retire?
Riley, 80, has been advised by several analysts and former players to walk away from the Heat. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes Riley is the biggest reason the Heat have been unable to attract free agents in recent years and was the biggest culprit behind Butler seeking a trade out of South Beach.
“Change has to start with Pat Riley. It’s time,” Smith told ESPN’s “First Take” on April 29.
“I appreciate what he’s done for the game of basketball,” he continued. “I don’t have any doubt he knows what he’s doing when it comes to basketball in terms of what the team needs, the coach it has, etc. The reason I’m bringing up there has to be a change in Miami is because you have to get people to want to come to Miami, and he’s not that guy anymore, not that guy.”
Lakers-Riley Connection
Shortly before the NBA playoffs, former All-Star Jeff Teague made some startling comments about how Riley was holding back the Heat with his archaic methods.
“They gotta get rid of Pat Riley, man,” Teague said. “…Blow up the Heat. It’s time for the Heat to blow up, too. It’s time for the whole organization just to start over. Let Pat Riley just go ahead and retire, man. Sit down somewhere, you 88.
“Let’s just start it over. Let Erik Spoelstra run the team from the top to the bottom. Be the coach and the GM. Just start over.”
If Riley does return to the Lakers, it’ll be a reunion more than 30 years in the making. The Lakers and Riley will always be synonymous with each other. Riley started his career as an announcer for the Lakers before joining Paul Westhead’s coaching staff and eventually becoming the head coach and guiding the franchise to four NBA titles.
The player-turned-coach would eventually depart for the Knicks in 1991 and ultimately for the Heat in 1995. In 2005, he took over as the Heat’s front-office head.
The Lakers are unlikely to fire Rob Pelinka, their president of basketball operations and general manager, whom they signed to a contract extension in April 2025. However, there’s always the possibility of Riley joining the Lakers in an advisor role similar to the job Jerry West held with the Clippers in his final few years.
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