The Miami Heat aren’t the team Goran Dragic envisioned he would be joining when he came to South Beach two years ago.
When Goran Dragic forced his way out of the Phoenix Suns organization two years ago and was traded to the Miami Heat, he thought he was joining a team on the verge of contending in the Eastern Conference. After finishing third in the East and coming within a game of making the conference finals last season, the Heat find themselves with one of the worst records in the NBA and on the verge of hitting the NBA draft lottery for the second time in three seasons.
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With Dwyane Wade leaving for Chicago this past offseason and Chris Bosh’s future with the organization all but concluded, the Heat are in rebuilding mode. It’s something team president Pat Riley has spoken openly about. This isn’t the team Dragic envisioned being a part of two years ago and, while he’s not demanding a trade, the point guard remains open to the possibility, according to The Vertical’s Chris Mannix.
"Dragic is open to a trade, league sources told The Vertical, and Miami has pursued that option. An early season swap with Sacramento for Rudy Gay fell apart when the Heat sought Darren Collison, sources said, and teams that have probed Miami about Dragic have found the Heat open to offers."
Dragic, 30, is having the best season since his All-NBA 2013-14 campaign with the Suns. He’s averaging nearly 19 points and seven assists per game, and could help a fringe playoff team make the post season.
So where would he go?
Recently on his podcast, ESPN’s Zach Lowe mentioned to keep an eye on the Minnesota Timberwolves as a potential landing spot for Dragic. Joining him on the show was Brian Windhorst, who mentioned the Orlando Magic as a possible destination.
Both the Timberwolves and the Magic aim to make the playoffs this season and would prefer not to sink into the lottery again.
The Kings are in a similar situation, currently in position to vie for the eighth seed in the West. According to Mannix, the Heat and Kings have had conversations around Dragic already. It doesn’t seem likely that the Heat would pursue Rudy Gay at this point, since Gay has made it clear he likes Miami and the team can always sign him when he become a free agent after the season. The Heat may have been interested in him earlier in the season before they were so far out of playoff contention. It would be more beneficial to stock up on assets as opposed to an established player like Gay who could be had next summer.
And while this option isn’t being reported, the Denver Nuggets seem like an obvious partner if they were interested in Dragic. Point guard Emmanuel Mudiay hasn’t developed as the team has hoped, and a veteran point guard could put that team over the top. It would also allow them to shed some of their more redundant players.
While nothing is being reported as imminent, Dragic’s name continues to come up in rumors. If the Heat are indeed ready to throw in the towel and launch a full rebuild, moving Dragic makes sense.