The last two years for Goran Dragic could be described as erratic. Since being traded by the Miami Heat in 2021, he’s played for four teams including Toronto, Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Now he’s a free agent with hopes of settling down in Miami.
After hosting a training camp in Slovenia this week, Dragic spoke with siol.net and made it clear his priority is to return to the Heat next season but understands the organization has other concerns.
“The main desire is to return to Miami,” Dragic said (courtesy of basketnews.com). “Now everyone is waiting for Damian Lillard to decide where he will go next, so everyone is off to a low start. When this is known, the movement for the other players will open as well.”
“We are in talks with a few clubs,” he added, “but much more will be known in a few days when the news will be released. You will see.”
Dragic, 37, still owns his home in Miami, where both of his children attend school. Dragic spent seven seasons of his career with the Heat (2015-2021), where he made the 2018 All-Star game and helped lead the Heat to the 2019 Finals in the Bubble before getting traded to the Raptors in the summer of 2021 in a deal for Kyle Lowry.
Since his departure, Dragic has spoken glowingly about the Heat’s culture and has tried to bring elements of it to teams in Chicago and Brooklyn. He last played for the Bucks, who were eliminated by the Heat in the first round of the East playoffs.
Dragic remains a fan-favorite in Miami and his comments come after speculation that he could return for next season and end his career with the Heat. Dragic’s voice and appreciation for the Heat’s way of doing things could help fill the void left by the retired Udonis Haslem. Even if he can’t be relied on for regular nightly minutes, his presence in the locker room would be a positive influence for a team dealing with so much turnover.
“Returning to Miami would be the icing on the cake,” Dragic said. “That would really be something phenomenal. We’ll see.”