Heat Favored to Re-Sign Dragic but the Dragon Is Keeping His Options Open

Goran Dragic has expressed his desire to return to the Miami Heat next season. The Heat have interest in bringing Dragic back next season as they embark on another championship run. But while the feeling is mutual, the 34-year old Slovenian guard is keeping his options open.

During a recent interview with Shams Charania, Dragic talked about the many options he has. While he prefers to run it back with the Heat next season, he isn’t closing his doors on joining another team in free agency:

Goran Dragic sits down on @Stadium: Leadership and sacrifice, revealing he is now fully recovered from the plantar fascia tear he suffered in the Finals, desire to stay in Miami while listening to offers in free agency and more. pic.twitter.com/k3IY8JoaNI

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 13, 2020

Coming off a Great Season

Dragic heads to the free agency coming off a great season in South Beach. The Dragon entered the 2019-20 season coming off a knee injury and he lost his starting job to undrafted rookie Kendrick Nunn who had a great start for Miami. Dragic started the season slowly as he was still adjusting to his new role. But once he got acclimated to his new designation, he looked better than ever.

He was picked 45th. He’s 34 years old…and he’s the Miami Heat scoring leader in these playoffs 🔥

Do NOT sleep on Goran Dragic 🐉 pic.twitter.com/eZ74nJoiUv

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 18, 2020

The Slovenian started just three of 59 regular-season games this past season and he played in only 28.2 minutes per game, his fewest since 2012. Despite those, he averaged 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Then came the Orlando bubble. With Nunn going down with the virus, Dragic regained his old starting role and he emerged during the playoffs.

During the first round, Dragic averaged 22.8 points and 5.0 assists per game against the Pacers. He would go on to put up 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game during the Milwaukee series. The Dragon put up 20.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game during the conference finals before tragedy struck and he suffered a torn plantar fascia in the NBA Finals and played in just 34 minutes. But despite how it finished, Dragic’s 2019-20 season was one of his most successful ever.

2020 Free Agency

The Heat acquired Dragic via trade from the Phoenix Suns in 2015. The Slovenian signed a five-year $90M extension that summer with a player option during the fifth year of the deal. Dragic played out the contract and made $19.2M  for the Heat last season. He is an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team he pleases.

Goran Dragic is 34 years old and is coming off a plantar fascia injury that sidelined him for most of the NBA finals. He could also be a good free-agent target for the Knicks https://t.co/dKaEIPiadw pic.twitter.com/APjUVhfZCg

— Forbes SportsMoney (@ForbesSports) November 7, 2020

Elsewhere is a lot of teams, mostly playoff contenders. According to the sportsbooks, the Toronto Raptors are the +400 favorites to steal the Dragon from Miami. Meanwhile, the Hawks (+450), Bucks (+500), Clippers (+525), and Mavericks (+550) round up the Top 5.

Toronto could be losing Fred VanVleet in free agency so they could have a need for a guard like Dragic. The Hawks are after an established player to pair with Trae Young while the Bucks are looking to make the right additions to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from leaving Milwaukee. Luka Doncic considers Dragic to be his mentor and that’s why the Mavs are in the picture. Meanwhile, the Clippers are looking to add more firepower to topple their cross-town rivals.

Heat Looking to Go Back to The Finals

But while Dragic is one of the offseason’s most sought after free agent, he is favored to stay in Miami at -300 via BetOnline.ag. Dragic leaving South Beach is currently at +200 in the same sportsbook as Heat president Pat Riley declared last month that Dragic and Jae Crowder are their priorities this offseason.

“I’ll be better, along with everybody else. I’ll be better coming back.”

Jimmy Butler has a promise to uphold, and the Heat core will likely be coming back with him.

✍️ @Manny_Navarro https://t.co/61vnPzA2ms

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) October 12, 2020

The Heat are coming off a season where they went all the way to the NBA Finals despite finishing 4th in the Eastern Conference. Miami ousted the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the playoffs and eliminated the favored Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Had Dragic and Adebayo been healthy in the Finals, who knows what the Heat could have accomplished.

Miami has the 7th best odds to win the 2021 NBA title at +1600 while they have the 4th best odds to win the Eastern Conference at +450. If the Heat can keep both Dragic and Crowder and then extend Bam Adebayo, they are going to be a force to reckon with in the years to come.