Magic Johnson doesn’t do subtle takes. And after the Miami Heat pulled off the blockbuster deal to land Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks, the Lakers legend went straight to the top shelf with his praise for Pat Riley.
Johnson and Riley go way back, obviously. Four championships together in LA during the 80s. But Johnson made it clear that Riley’s work in Miami has put him in a different league entirely when it comes to front office moves.
“Look how many big trades and free agent signings my former Lakers coach and one of my best friends, Pat Riley, has pulled off – LeBron James, Shaq, Jimmy Butler, Alonzo Mourning, Ray Allen, and now Giannis Antetokounmpo,” Johnson wrote on X. “And of course, he drafted the legendary Dwyane Wade! It’s not even a question, he’s one of the best executives in NBA history!”
That’s a pretty short list of executives you’d put above him. Riley has been with Miami since 1995 and has basically built three different championship cores in that time. The Mourning and Tim Hardaway years, the Shaq and Wade title run, then the LeBron and Bosh era. Now he’s rolling the dice on a Giannis-led team with Jimmy Butler still in the mix, presumably.
Magic puts the Heat right there with the champs
Johnson didn’t stop at praising Riley. He went ahead and lumped the Heat in with the reigning Eastern Conference champions, the New York Knicks. Which is a pretty big statement considering the Knicks just won it all.
“Miami Heat owner Micky Arison and his son, Heat CEO Nick Arison, pulled off a major trade for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Bucks,” Johnson wrote. “Put them right there with the World Champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference!”
Portis isn’t a throw-in either. Johnson specifically noted that he’s a guy you can’t sleep on. A real physical presence who fits the Heat’s culture perfectly. Hard-nosed, rebounds, hits threes, plays with an edge. He’s exactly the kind of role player that thrives in Miami.
Of course, the big question now is how the Heat fill out the rest of the roster. They’ve got two superstars in Giannis and Butler, but the depth is thin after giving up a lot to make this deal happen. The team has not confirmed any further moves yet, but the rumor mill is already spinning about who might end up in Miami on a minimum deal or via a buyout.
Giannis and Jokic are the two best players in the league right now, according to Johnson. And if you’ve got one of them, you’re in the conversation. The Heat are definitely in that conversation now.
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