The Miami Heat reportedly will retain two key members of their front office even though they are highly regarded around the league.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that Andy Elisburg and Adam Simon are expected to stay with the organization.
“Longtime Boston Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren and Miami Heat general manager Andy Elisburg will always be mentioned at the top of any list of candidates,” Fischer wrote.
Fischer asked a league official who his top candidate for a general manager position would be, and Zarren and Elisburg were the obvious choices.
“If I have an opening, those two guys I’m calling first,” the official said.
Simon, who reportedly was pursued by the Chicago Bulls before they hired Artūras Karnišovas, is expected to remain with the Heat for the long haul as well.
“Yet there’s little expectation that Elisburg would entertain parting ways with the Heat and president Pat Riley,” Fischer wrote. “Miami assistant general manager Adam Simon was another name involved in the Bulls’ recent search, as well as a candidate for the Charlotte Hornets’ general manager post that ultimately went to Mitch Kupchak. Even with the growing whispers that head coach Erik Spoelstra could one day succeed Riley in the front office, few league executives believe Simon would take a position outside Miami in the near future either.”
This is great news for the Heat, as Riley has constructed one of the best front offices in the NBA.
Miami should remain one of the league’s premier organizations and free agent destinations as long as Simon, Elisburg and Riley stick around.