Chris Bosh’s medical status could open up the trade market for Goran Dragic and the Miami Heat.
It is safe to say that the Miami Heat’s playoff chances turned a lot dimmer after the announcement that Chris Bosh had failed his preseason physical with what is being reported as another clotting complication believed to be in his lung.
While the situation is said to be non-life threatening, all indications point to this latest health scare confirming what team doctors allegedly told him back in February.
His career is probably over.
In all likelihood, the Heat will move to prove that Bosh is not healthy enough to return to the game, thus allowing the team to crawl from under the remaining $75.9 million burden of his $118 million contract. If an independent doctor agrees that he should no longer suit up, a medical retirement will give Miami the type of cash that could be used to absorb the salary of a disgruntled–available–superstar by February’s trade deadline.
Fortunately for the Heat, Bosh’s Uninterrupted documentary is unlikely to convince another organization to let him play the 25 games required to return the salary back to Miami’s books. Not after a third diagnosis.
The newly found money would also be available to spend, next summer, when numerous big names hit the market. Which works out perfectly for Pat Riley’s brain trust–even if it marks the official end of the Big Three era.
As we all know, Riley is the type of team president who looks for the quick fix rather than a lengthy rebuild. However a lineup without Dwyane Wade, Bosh or any mid-season additions is poised to land the Heat somewhere between their franchise low 15 wins and Kevin Pelton’s 36-win projection. Leaving Miami to draft out of the lottery for the second time in three years.
With that said, should Miami turn their focus to moving Goran Dragic and the rest of his $85 million deal? After all, he did force his way out of Phoenix for two reasons that the Heat have not accommodated.
For starters, Dragic wanted to go to a team where he could run the show. Something that coach Erik Spoelstra has not allowed his point guard to do during his year and a half of sharing the backcourt with Wade.
Wade’s relocation to Chicago means that the basketball will be in Dragic’s hands more often. However he said that winning was also a part of the equation, during last summer’s interview with Dan Le Batard on ESPN Radio:
"“Miami Heat is the right organization for me. I want to win something. I could go somewhere else, but I was really happy the last couple of months here.”"
The problem is that winning in Miami will be a foreign concept for the 2016-17 season if Hassan Whiteside and Dragic are not on the same page.
A quick glance at last year’s stats show that Dragic averaged one assist per game to each of Whiteside, Bosh and Wade. Yet a closer look indicates a big discrepancy. Dragic only passed to his center 4.6 times every 48 minutes. As opposed to the 15.3 and 10.2 passes a game that he threw to Wade and Bosh, respectively. That is a frequency rate of seven percent compared to 24.4 and 16.3.
There is no way to make those numbers seem positive when the two people who are expected to carry the team have absolutely no chemistry.
After the All-Star break last season, things seemingly started to turn around. 43 of Dragic’s 65 assists to Whiteside came after the All-Star break, per NBA.com.
Dragic told the Palm Beach Post last season that the two developed better chemistry.
"“But now after the All-Star break I’m looking for that lob more and I’m feeling more comfortable with him. I’ve never had big guys like Hassan to throw lobs to. It was a challenge for me to work on it, but he’s setting really good screens and I’m trying to find him every time. It’s working so far.”"
However, that’s a small sample size. With a largely turned over roster, Dragic will be asked to be the main facilitator for everyone–not just Whiteside. That’s a tall task for a player who has averaged more than six assists per game just once in his 10 seasons.
If the two cannot build a bond, Riley must move a player like Dragic, who may not be down to play for a franchise with two out of three losing seasons during his tenure.