In his first interview since June, Miami Heat president Pat Riley said that the team is a championship contender for the upcoming NBA season. He appeared on ESPN Radio's "Dan Le Batard Show" and was asked if the Heat has all the right pieces to become champions again.

"I think this team has all of the elements of a championship team. Whether or not you can ever win a championship will depend on a number of factors. I can list them and you can list them. It's going to come down to this, health, performance and this guy and that guy. It's going to come down to can you make shots?" Riley answered as quoted by The Miami Herald"

"I think this team has the opportunity and the possibilities of being a contender. That's where you start with a team like this. We have an opportunity to create a new first. That's how I feel about this team. I'm excited about this season," the 70-year-old team president added.

Miami missed the playoffs last season after the departure of LeBron James and injuries to key players like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But this offseason, Riley made some moves that could change their fortunes for the upcoming season.

According to Real GM, they drafted Duke's Justise Winslow, signed free agents Gerald Green and Amar'e Stoudemire and re-signed Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade. They also traded guards Zoran Dragic and Shabazz Napier for second-round picks to the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, respectively.

Goran Dragic agreed to a five-year, $90-million contract extension as reported by SB Nation. This move gives the Heat a starting point guard for years to come as well as a third scoring option after Wade and Bosh. In a report by Yahoo Sports, Wade opted to re-sign with the Heat for a one-year, $20-million contract after some talks with the LA Lakers and Chicago Bulls.

Riley also said that he was concerned that Wade might leave, saying via The Miami Herald, "I had some concern because we have lost players before but deep down in my gut, Dwyane is a lifer here and I felt he and Micky and Nick Arison would work it out. It got a lot more personal in a good way because the owner got involved in it because that's how much we care about Dwyane."

Pat Riley is not done dealing as Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen are on the trading block, but their rotation is probably set. They have Goran Dragic and Wade as the starting guards, with Luol Deng, Bosh, and Hassan Whiteside in the front court. Then they have Winslow, Green, James Ennis, Udonis Haslem and Stoudemire coming off the bench.