Getty Chicago Bulls guard Goran Dragic handles the ball during a game against the Golden State Warriors.
The NBA trade deadline may be in the rearview mirror, but multiple teams — including the Miami Heat — could be on the verge of adding veteran floor generals for the stretch run. After being jettisoned in deadline deals, Russell Westbrook, John Wall and Patrick Beverley all figure to be hot commodities on the buyout market.
Joining the Heat — who currently have a Kyle Lowry-sized hole in their starting five — are the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Clippers as the clubs most invested in finding another facilitator. Before any of the aforementioned can lock someone down, though, the Westbrook domino has to fall.
The former NBA MVP will probably get bought out by the Utah Jazz, but nothing has come down the pipe as of yet. And right now, Westbrook and his agent are actually talking to all three clubs, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
In the event that Westbrook, who averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds as a Laker before getting traded, lands in Chicago, it could open the door for one of South Beach’s all-time favorites to come back home.
Bulls Insider Says That Chicago Could Part Ways With Ex-Heat Guard Goran Dragic If Russell Westbrook Is Signed
NBC Sports Chicago’s KC Johnson broke down the Westbrook situation from a Bulls angle earlier this week. And the longtime Windy City hoops insider pointed out that Bulls VP Arturas Karnisovas would have to open up a spot for the nine-time All-Star (or whoever) before actually making a deal.
So, which of Chicago’s current players would get the boot in such a scenario? Wrote Johnson:
“If the Bulls don’t add Westbrook, John Wall and Patrick Beverley are names to keep in mind. The Bulls will need to waive a player to create a roster spot, and their current focus calls into question the future of Goran Dragic.”
Dragic, of course, spent parts of seven seasons with the Heat from 2015 to 2021. He appeared in 391 games for Erik Spoelstra’s squad over that span, averaging 16.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per outing. He ranks third in franchise history in assists (2,034) and eighth in points (6,348).
Flash forward to now, though, and there are questions to be asked about how much a 36-year-old Dragic has left in the tank.
After a Strong Start to the 2022-23 Campaign, Dragic Has Cooled Significantly
When Dragic joined the Bulls on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract over the summer, there was no telling how large of a role he’d play with the team. Alas, Lonzo Ball’s continuing knee issues made it necessary for the former Heat guard to play significant minutes off the bench in the early going.
He coped relatively well with the workload, too — for a spell, anyway. Over his first 14 games with the Bulls, Dragic averaged 10.1 points and 3.6 assists in 19.3 minutes per game and boasted 46-47-77 shooting splits. Since then, though, his minutes and overall efficiency have trailed off in a big, bad way.
Since Nov. 14 — a sample size of 37 games — Dragic has put up 5.0 points and 2.4 assists nightly while connecting on just 40.4% of his shot attempts overall and 28.4% of his tried from deep.
Clearly, those aren’t the droids Miami is looking for. On the other hand, a return to his favorite old haunt and the coach/system that made him an All-Star in 2018 could be the spark that ignites a turnaround. In any case, it’s difficult to envision Dragic not landing somewhere in the event that he gets waived.