As expected, Goran Dragic picked up his 2019-20 player option and will remain on the Miami Heat roster as free agency begins on July 1st.
There wasn’t much speculation to begin with, but what little there was has come to an end as Goran Dragic has opted to pick up his 2019-20 player option, worth $19.2 million. He will remain on the Miami Heat roster as free agency begins in just a few weeks on July 1st.
As reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic has picked up his $19.2M player option for the 2019-20 season, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 13, 2019
It was always unlikely that Dragic would be able to recoup this salary on the open market if he chose to decline his option, so this comes as no real surprise. This leaves the next big decision to center Hassan Whiteside, who currently holds a $27 million player option for the coming season.
This could mean that the Miami Heat will be looking to trade Dragic in an effort to get either better or cheaper (or both, should fortune favor them). As the Heat roster currently stands, they have $141 million on the books for the 2019-20 season, assuming Whiteside does opt in.
That number pushes them $9 million over the luxury tax, and getting under the tax line will be a priority for the Heat front office.
In spite of the fact that Goran Dragic opted in, it’s still possible that sometime before the end of next season he may be playing for another team as a result of a trade.
If he isn’t traded before the beginning of the season, he’s likely to be in competition with Justise Winslow as the starting point guard for the 2019-20 roster, considering how well the Heat played when Winslow started in his place last season.
One thing is certain, while this particular part of Dragic’s offseason as been settled, the next set of questions about his future in Miami are just beginning.