Pat Riley regretted caving to Chris Bosh's demands after LeBron James left Miami: "He wishes he'd said no to Bosh's max deal"

When LeBron James left South Beach in 2015, Pat Riley had to ensure the boat wouldn't sink completely. The Miami Heat executive had to pull some strings to make everyone happy.

This was easier said than done. Chris Bosh , a member of the Big 3 that powered the Heat to four straight NBA Finals appearances, took advantage of James' recent departure to renegotiate a contract. To an extent, this affected Riley's relationship with Dwyane Wade .

Bosh negotiation

In a report by ESPN, Riley expressed his disappointment with James' departure in 2015. Pat wanted Bron to be the centerpiece of a team that could compete for the title for years to come.

With King James out, Riley now had to deal with his current crop of players. While The Godfather succumbed to Bosh's wish for a heftier contract, he regretted it and wished he had given it to Wade.

"But of course, Riley says, almost immediately after LeBron left, Bosh's camp wanted to reopen a deal they'd just finished, knowing the Heat had money and felt vulnerable," the report read . "Bosh threatened to sign with the Rockets. In the end, Riley gave Bosh what he wanted. Now he wishes he'd said no to Bosh's max deal and given all that money to Wade."

Around this time, Wade and the Heat were negotiating a new deal. The Heat's first offer was a two-year, $20 million deal, which they increased to a two-year, $40 million contract. Wade wasn't happy with both, so he signed with the Chicago Bulls, who gave him a two-year, $47 million deal.

Heat would've picked Bosh instead of Wade

Riley, Bosh, and Wade have always been linked. In the 2003 NBA Draft, the Heat executive admitted that they were looking for a big man to replace Alonzo Mourning. Wade was on their radar but not the top priority.

"Absolutely. And we were thinking about a big even before Dwyane, because of what happened with Zo [Alonzo Mourning's kidney illness]. Yes, if Dwyane had gone to Toronto, we would have taken Chris," Riley said.

Bosh shared that the Heat were indeed trying to recruit him. He felt that he would fit right in with the culture, but he felt that the Big 3 wouldn't have formed if they had picked him instead of Wade.

The trio had an interesting professional relationship. Some things get a little muddy when money and winning are involved. But at the end of the day, those three legends gave us prime basketball entertainment.

Related: "I told Pat, 'I need Bron. I need UD. I need D-Wade,'" - Mario Chalmers says Pat Riley built the 2011 Heat around him