What would it take to pry Goran Dragic from the Miami Heat?
What would it take for the Orlando Magic to pry Goran Dragic from the Miami Heat? Here’s an idea.
It has been reported that the Orlando Magic tried to acquire Goran Dragic, and they allegedly offered Nikola Vucevic and a future first round draft pick. The Heat weren’t interested.
It’s easy to understand why. Dragic is on an absolute tear, posting numbers equivalent to his all-NBA season. He is also the only true point guard on the Heat and it’s painful to watch the team’s offense when Dragic rests.
In addition, Pat Riley sees Dragic as a key piece to a quick rebuild. With Dwyane Wade gone, Dragic has become the veteran voice of the locker room, and that’s a valuable commodity on such a young roster.
The Magic proposal was arguably a reasonable offer in a vacuum, but Riley’s price for Dragic is high, according to an ESPN report, and why shouldn’t it be? There is no reason to trade him for pennies on the dollar.
Since the Magic are interested in Dragic, then, what could they offer that might interest the Heat?
Simple. Sweeten the trade by adding Elfrid Payton. Oh, and find a third team willing to trade a pick for Vucevic. And yeah, we’ll need this year’s pick, unprotected.
The trade between the Heat and the Magic would be:
The Heat then trade Vucevic to another team. For example, Portland:
Why this works for the Magic
Only a monster deal like this would entice Riley. But, it does make the Magic a better team and more likely to make the playoffs.
Dragic is an instant upgrade at point guard for the Magic. Paired with Evan Fournier, the Magic would have a powerful back court. With the additional spacing provided by Dragic, Aaron Gordan becomes more dangerous. With Vucevic out, the Magic would be able to consistently play Bismack Biyombo as a rim protector and with Dragic possibly unleash the pick-and-roll potential he flashed in Toronto last season.
Why this works for Portland
Portland needs to shake things up. They have fallen out of the playoffs, and an interior threat would open things up for Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Vucevic is that threat. He is averaging a double double and, while not a rim protector, has improved defensively this season and is at least playable. Vucevic is exactly the kind of player Portland needs to make a playoff push.
Festus Ezeli and Noah Vonleh are required to make salaries work. Neither is an integral part to the Trail Blazers. Ezeli has yet to play a minute for the team due to injury, and Vonleh has failed to live up to his draft position and battles for minutes with Meyers Leonard. Portland’s pick is likely in the mid-to-late first round, a fair price to pay for Vucevic.
Why this works for the Heat
This trade is all about the draft picks. Miami gets two potential lottery picks in a deep draft to help rebuild the team.
Neither Payton nor Vonleh project as stars (or even starters on a good team). Combined they do not match the production or impact of Dragic, but they are young and on favorable contracts. They can be used as part of the Heat rotation. Ezeli ‘s $7.7 million contract is non guaranteed for next season, so that’s not a problem.
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Of course, a deal like this only happens if the Magic get desperate, and the Trail Blazers (or another team) are willing to part with first round pick for Vucevic. But, like I said, Riley is in the driver’s seat when it comes to trading Dragic, and this may the kind of deal it takes to get him.