Pat Riley Eager to Trade

An official in contact with the Heat said Pat Riley has become increasingly eager to do something big before the Feb. 19 trade deadline, using Marion's expiring contract.

The official said the Jermaine O'Neal deal with Toronto (for Marion and Marcus Banks) still interests the Heat if it cannot acquire Amare Stoudemire (Miami's first choice) or if nothing more enticing surfaces. A published report in Chicago asserted that the Suns do not want Marion back and prefer the Bulls' Tyrus Thomas to Michael Beasley in a Stoudemire trade. According to a competing executive, Phoenix believes it can get more than what Miami has to offer.

The Heat -- which wants Stoudemire or Toronto's Chris Bosh in 2010 free agency -- hasn't had trade talks about Bosh. One downside to the O'Neal trade: It would give Miami $70 million in salary commitments for 11 players next season, leaving only about $2.5 million under the luxury-tax threshold to upgrade at small forward this summer. Source: The Miami Herald