Pat Riley: Heat Had No Interest in Trading Tyler Herro Despite Damian Lillard Rumors

Despite the guard's rumored inclusion in Damian Lillard trade talks, Miami Heat executive Pat Riley did not shop former Sixth Man of the Year winner Tyler Herro.

"We have never shopped him and had no interest in ever trading the guy," Riley said, according to Tim Reynolds of AP News. "But when you're talking about acquiring one of the top five players in the league, there isn't anybody on our team that won't be discussed."

Lillard was eventually traded to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sept. 27.

Herro averaged 20.1 points and 4.2 assists per game last season, shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three on eight attempts each night.

He suffered a broken right hand in Miami's first matchup of the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks and did not suit up again for the rest of the postseason.

Now healthy, the 23-year-old is expected to complement All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as the Heat attempt to defend their Eastern Conference crown.

While Miami has made several modest additions over the summer such as rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and veteran wing Josh Richardson, the man with nine championship rings knows that his team will only go as far as the marquee trio can take it.

"To win it, it's going to take this mentality on the part of our team and on the part of our three best players—most importantly, Jimmy and Bam and Tyler," Riley said, per Reynolds. "They're the guys we really look to, the guys that are getting paid, they have to have far and away their career-best years that impact winning. So, whatever that is, scoring, rebounding, assists, not turning it over, defensively, whatever it is...that's what it's going to take."

The Heat will begin their regular season on Wednesday night, hosting the Detroit Pistons. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET.