Staying healthy is more than an individual feat and accomplishment for The Dragon. Goran Dragic is key to the future success of the Miami Heat.
The line no disrespect was always meant to curb any preconceived insults that were on the way. However, the line between truth and disrespect can be a blurry one. Even in Miami Heat land.
A prime example would be those who view suggestions of Goran Dragic as the Miami Heat’s sixth man as a slight, while others see a positive toss of the keys to the inevitable floor general, Justise Winslow.
Another take they may not appreciate is that Dragic needs to get healthy for the sole purpose of building his value.
And not for one more big summer payday.
Miami needs Dragic closer to the player who shot 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from three, than the guy who missed 46 games with a bad knee.
An opportunity would be needed–to be productive–and given by coach Erik Spoelstra.
In return, Dragic’s body has to hold up long enough for him and his $19.2 million contract to be showcased throughout the season’s first four months.
Be clear, calling for a trade is no knock to his game either. He’s averaged 16.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists across his Heat career. He was also–oftentimes–the only semblance of a fastbreak in Miami once LeBron James left.
He’s been the catalyst for a host of good things, but the Miami Heat need to flip him for someone they can pair with Jimmy Butler.
The pressure is on to make sure the franchise avoids missing on any of Butler’s prime years. It is why they aimed so hard at Russell Westbrook and even took a look or two at Chris Paul.
The Miami Heat need a no. 2 who can be poached by using Dragic as bait. Especially with the weak free agency class of 2020 getting weaker by the minute. See CJ McCollum and Draymond Green, who both recently signed long-term extensions with their teams.
Having cap space for 2020 without the clientele for a big signing essentially means burning two years of Butler’s four-year deal, while waiting for the loaded class of 2021. The Miami Heat will have the funds, but no one exciting or game-changing enough to spend them on.
Holding onto Dragic is not worth the waste. A thought obviously echoed by the Miami Heat, a team that already traded him once in June.