Riley Regrets Letting Wade Leave Heat

By ESPN

Pat Riley said he regrets letting Dwyane Wade leave the Miami Heat, acknowledging that he was "floored" by the superstar's decision to join the Chicago Bulls in free agency.

Riley addressed Wade's departure during a news conference Saturday, one day after the 12-time All-Star officially signed a two-year deal with his hometown Bulls.

"What happened with Dwyane floored me," Riley said. "I'm going to miss the fact of what I might have had planned for him and his future and how I saw the end and my thought process in how I could see his end here with the Heat. ... It's my responsibility to sort of make that happen. I didn't make it happen. Dwyane left, and the buck stops here."

Wade said last week that a "business" rift with Riley played a significant role in his decision to end his 13-year career with Miami. Wade helped lead the Heat to three NBA championships and is the franchise's all-time leading scorer.

Riley, the Heat's president, admitted that he was not as involved in the negotiation process as he needed to be in order to retain Wade, who turned down Miami's two-year, $40 million offer earlier this month in favor of Chicago's two-year, $47 million offer.

Nate Thurmond Dies After Battle With Leukemia

Nate Thurmond, the tenacious defensive center who played with Wilt Chamberlain and was an iconic figure in two cities, died Saturday after a short battle with leukemia. He was 74.

The Golden State Warriors announced the death of one of the team's most respected players less than a month after they lost the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. Both franchises previously retired Thurmond's No. 42.