With the Miami Heat acquiring Kyle Lowry, via sign-and-trade in free agency, they had to give up Precious Achiuwa and fan favorite… Goran Dragic. Even though Miami got an upgrade at the point guard position, it still hurts that Dragic won’t be in Miami anymore.
He has been through a lot of ups and downs in his seven seasons in Miami. He also had a lot of different teams and teammates throughout his career in Miami.
He, at least publicly, didn’t complain about where Miami’s future was going, especially when he first got traded to Miami, as he was to play with Chris Bosh. We all know what happened with Bosh and his blood clots.
He has basically seen it all in Miami. Lets go through the Dragic Era in Miami together.
As stated before, when he first got traded to Miami, he was supposed to be on a team with a starting five of Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside. That’s a pretty solid starting five, right?
Bosh gets sick and Miami doesn’t make the playoffs.
Miami Heat: Thanking Goran Dragic In A Look Across His 7 Seasons
The next season ( 2015-2016), Bosh gets cleared to play with the same starting lineup. Dragic didn’t’ look like himself early in the year, especially as trying to learn how to play with Wade was a struggle at times.
Sadly, during All-Star Weekend, Bosh’s blood clots come back and Bosh never plays in the NBA again. In the second half of the season, Dragic plays a lot better.
Miami makes it to the three seed and faces the Charlotte Hornets, which we all know Wade and the purple shirt guy. Dragic had a fine first round to get the job done in seven games.
The next round was against the Toronto Raptors. That was a hard fought series on both sides.
Game three saw Whiteside get injured, while Jonas Valanciunas of Toronto also got injured. Remember, Justise Winslow was playing Miami’s center in that series.
Miami was one game away from the Eastern Conference Finals and from going against their old friend, Lebron James, of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Miami Heat lost Game Seven.
The following summer was tough for every Miami Heat fan. Without Bosh in back to back seasons, it was tough to think of what could have happened, especially in that Toronto series with a healthy Bosh.
I, for one, think Miami gets pass Toronto. Every Miami fan wanted to go against James and Cleveland though, another what if for Miami.
On a side note… does anyone else remember Dragic losing his teeth all of the time and the referee’s still calling the foul on Dragic?
Miami Heat: Goran Dragic accepted being ‘the man’ after Wade’s departure
The 2016-2017 season was a tough season for Miami fans. That summer, Wade and Miami’s front office (Pat Riley) could not agree on a deal.
Wade moved back “home” to Chicago. Dragic did not sign up for this when he was traded to Miami, nor when he re-signed with Miami.
It was him, Whiteside, Winslow and Josh Richardson. The rest were a bunch of misfit toys, if we are being honest.
Miami went 11-30 for the first half of the season. I really thought Dragic would ask for a trade or that Miami would look to trade him at the deadline.
Nope, Dragic was nothing more than a pro and handled it beautifully. In the second half of the season, Miami went 30-11 and was one game away from making the eighth seed of the NBA Playoffs.
Dion Waiters and James Johnson played the best basketball of their careers. Dragic didn’t think these guys would be his teammates when he signed with Miami but like I said, he just dealt with it.
You could definitely make the argument that Dragic should have been an All -Star that year too, just for clarity.
That summer and for the 2017-2018 season, the Miami Heat elected to run it back with the same team. This meant giving big deals to Johnson and Waiters.
I’ll be honest with you, that season did not have a lot of memories or exciting things happening. Beside Dragic making his first All -Star team, there wasn’t a ton.
Waiters, who Miami re-signed that summer, was still having ankle issues from the previous season and had to shut it down for the rest of the season at some point mid-way. On February 8th of that season though, Cleveland traded Wade back to Miami.
Besides Wade coming back to Miami, that season was just another season in my book. Miami was the sixth seed going against the third seeded Philadelphia 76ers.
But, one of my all-time favorite moments is when Dragic slapped Ben Simmons upside the head. Also, in Game 2, Wade single-handedly won Miami a playoff game again.
They eventually ran out of gas early though. Miami loses in five games in that series.
Miami Heat: Goran Dragic embraced Dwyane Wade upon his return
The following season ( 2018-2019) was a tough one for Miami fans again but at the same time, it was worth it because of Wade’s “Last Dance“. Dragic missed most of the season, having surgery on his right knee.
With this season being about Wade’s last year, Miami did not have a lot to offer for the season. Winslow had a nice year at point guard with Dragic being out, but that was about it.
Miami had enough with just being an average team, as that summer ( 2019-2020), Miami made a splash by acquiring Jimmy Butler for Josh Richardson in a sign-and-trade from Philadelphia. Miami looked like a dark horse in the East.
Kendrick Nunn, who Miami signed on the last day of the season in the previous year, was Miami’s new starting point guard. Dragic, who had been waiting since the 2016 season to have a team that was ready to win now, had to come off the bench.
Dragic had a talk with Head Coach, Erik Spoelstra, about coming off the bench for the sake of the team. Yeah, he was disappointed in coming off the bench but like the pro he is, he dealt with it.
He had a really nice year off the bench and especially with the Miami Heat back in the mix as a real playoff contender. This is why he wanted to be here in the first place.
The Dragon and Jimmy Butler relationship was something that nobody saw coming, but it was so funny to see how those two would interact with each other. Those two have a real brotherhood.
Miami Heat: Goran Dragic was unable to go in NBA Finals matchup
We all know the season was at a pause due to Covid-19. Miami went to the bubble and went through the east.
Dragić was back to starting and playing the best basketball in his career. How about Dragic against the Boston Celtics, where he went off in games One, Two, and Five.
You could make the argument that Dragic was Miami’s best scorer up the the NBA Finals. He was just unbelievable for Miami during the playoffs.
Game One though, against the Los Angeles Lakers, will forever break my heart. Dragic tore his plantar fascia in his foot, while also seeing Bam Adebayo leave in that game with a injury that would cause him to miss multiple games as well.
Bam left with a neck injury. Dragic though, was trying to play in Game Four for Miami but shortly after his “warmup”, he was trying to guard assistant coach and could not put any weight on his foot.
The look on his face was a man who was so gutted that it still hurts watching it to this day. Dragic played in Game Six, but he should of not have played in that game either.
You could tell he was in pain. Dragic went out there for his teammates and his team.
That moment will always be in my mind. Miami lost the NBA Finals in Six to Los Angeles and Lebron James.
That Finals was hard to watch for Miami fans, knowing Dragic and Adebayo both missed multiple games. What could of been… never was.
The following season, Miami brought him back on a two year deal worth up to $39 million. Miami had an up and down season last year.
At times, they looked like a team that was just tired from a season that had just completed some 72 days ago. Dragic looked old at times and other times, he looked like he was getting his legs back.
That’s neither here nor there, as Miami was just tired throughout the season. Dragic and Butler still had a great relationship like the year before.
They just got swept by the guys that would go on to be the NBA Champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Miami Heat: Goran Dragic had to be the one moved for Kyle Lowry
As we know, Miami had to make moves this offseason and that they did. Getting rid of The Dragon hurt the whole fan base.
He played with so many different types of teams and players, but never changed the way he came to work everyday. He was supposed to play with Bosh and both never got the chance to work out.
Playing with Wade was also a weird fit, at times. He deferred too many times to Wade because he respected Wade so much, as he should have, but nonetheless.
Afterwards, Wade left in free agency and leaving Dragic by himself, for the most part. Not a bad word was said.
At least, not publicly. Butler gets to the Miami Heat, Dragic heads to the bench, and just deals with it.
Finally, after all these years with Miami, they make the NBA Finals, and only for him to injure his foot in the first game. He has really been through it all in Miami.
That’s really the ups and downs with a franchise. Dragic’s number 7 will hang in the rafters one day.
It just must. Goran Dragic… thank you for an amazing seven years wearing a Miami Heat jersey with pride and honor.
Thanks for never taking a night off and being a great teammate. I wish you had the chance to play with a healthy Bosh.
We all wish you didn’t get injured during the NBA Finals. We all wish you were still on the team, to be completely honest.
Even though you wont be in Miami next year, that doesn’t mean that all of us that support the Miami Heat wont be rooting for you. Next year, the key will be under the mat for you… and who knows what the future actually may hold.
Some of us here at AUCH might think that he isn’t gone forever…