Getty Goran Dragic, then of the Miami Heat, reacts during a playoff bout with the Boston Celtics in 2020.
The Miami Heat may be trailing 1-0 in their NBA Finals matchup with the Denver Nuggets, but it’s hard to feel too bad about the team’s situation. Despite entering Game 1 with tired legs and then struggling to catch net for the majority of the contest, Jimmy Butler and Co. still managed to get the lead down to single digits late in the fourth quarter.
One person who’s undoubtedly rooting for the Heat to get things back on track in Game 2 is Goran Dragic, who spent parts of seven seasons with the club from 2015 to 2021.
Although Dragic’s own title pursuit was ended at the Heat’s hands amid the team’s Round 1 upset of his top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks several weeks ago, the 37-year-old’s heart (and all of the rest of him, actually) still resides in the 305.
So, it should come as no surprise, really, that when Dragic was asked on Friday about a potential return to the Heat for his hardwood swan song, the 2018 All-Star was all about the idea.
Goran Dragic Sounds Off on the Possibility of Finishing His Career With the Miami Heat
All in favor of giving Gogi the Haslem role next season? 🙋🏽♂️🥹
Dragic joined AM 560 Sports’s Brendan Tobin and Leroy Hoard on the morning after the Heat’s Game 1 loss to talk about the team and its Finals matchup. During the segment, Dragic was asked point blank if he had any designs on finishing his career with the Heat.
This was his response:
“I live here,” Dragic said. “My kids are here. So, definitely, if I’m looking to finish my career, it would be a no-brainer to finish in Miami. This is my home. I spent an unbelievable seven years here. I love all the players, all people in the front office, Coach O (Octavio De La Grana), Coach Spo (Erik Spoelstra), Coach Quinny (Chris Quinn). I mean, those guys give me everything.
“This is the city that I see myself in the future, so hell yeah, why not?”
There had been rumblings of a possible reunion during buyout season. In the end, though, Dragic — who had been bought out by the Chicago Bulls — chose the Bucks. The Heat, meanwhile, acquired Kevin Love and Cody Zeller.
Dragic Is No Longer the Player Who Helped the Heat Reach the Finals in 2020
After his forced exit from the Heat (via the trade that completed Kyle Lowry’s move to the team), Dragic had a weird 2021-22 season that saw him get sidelined in Toronto, then dealt to the Spurs (who bought him out) and, finally, signed for a cup of coffee with the Brooklyn Nets.
Seeking a fresh start and an opportunity to play in 2022-23, he inked a deal with the Bulls last summer. And while he got off to a strong start in the Windy City, Artusas Karnisovas had no qualms about paying him to go seek a new job elsewhere by midseason.
In 51 games with the Bulls, he averaged 6.4 points and 2.7 assists in just 15.4 minutes per game.
Upon joining the Bucks, he was immediately ushered to the end of the bench. He appeared in all of seven regular-season games and just two postseason bouts for Milwaukee.