MIAMI — Pat Riley has never doubted Magic Johnson, and isn't about to start now.
Riley believes Johnson will succeed in what looks like a daunting task of getting the Los Angeles Lakers back to prominence. After the Lakers cleaned house this past week, Johnson and Riley are contemporaries — Riley as president of the Miami Heat, Johnson in the same role out in L.A., where they won four titles together in the 1980s.
Trade talks, he cautioned, will be dangerous for both sides.
"He's going to try to rifle my pockets and I'm going to try to rifle his," Riley said.