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Lost in all the crazy Miami Heat trade talk is the possibility of extending some veteran players for next year. The way Goran Dragic has been playing over these last few games, the team would be smart to bring him back.
Dragic returned to the rotation on Feb. 24 from a nagging left ankle injury. The 34-year-old point guard has been relegated to a bench role but he’s put a noticeable stamp on the offense, something Jimmy Butler pointed out after Friday night’s impressive win.
While Dragic’s name has been loosely mentioned in trade rumors, the Heat is going to need his savvy leadership and instant offense down the stretch. In fact, there is a growing feeling around the league that Miami might even extend the crafty Slovenian for another year. The organization could restructure his one-year, $18 million deal and spread it out over two years. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel‘s Ira Winderman proposed the following idea:
I almost wonder if the $18 million the Heat are paying Goran this season is a way gf averaging out a two-year deal, should they ask him to return for one of the smaller exceptions in 2021-22, to basically make the deal he signed last November into something along the lines of two years, $20 million-plus, when bypassing next season’s team options.
Butler has continually beaten the drum this year about how much Dragic means to the team so it could be upsetting to him if Miami went in another direction. The same could be said for the Heat moving on from Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson in a potential blockbuster trade deadline deal. All these things are worth monitoring in the coming weeks.
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Dragic Quietly Earned $115 Million in NBA
Anyone who understands basketball realizes the multiple ways Dragic impacts the game. He’s a solid defender, willing passer, excellent penetrator, and deadly shooter from 15 feet and beyond. Still, it’s hard to believe just how much money he’s amassed in his 15-year NBA career.
Dragic has earned $115 million in the league, including stops with the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat. Heat president Pat Riley handed him a $90 million contract back in 2015 and he’s rewarded that investment by averaging 16.6 points and 5.3 assists (both career-highs) per game in five seasons while making his only All-Star appearance in 2017.
“Fierce competitor. He really don’t say much,” Butler said in 2019, via the Miami Herald. “But he will [expletive] eat you, for real. Then just the respect he has around the league, in this organization and from his teammates just goes to show how he’ll run through a wall for you.”
Butler Shows Up on Heat Injury Report
Miami returns to action on Sunday versus the Atlanta Hawks and hope to get Herro (hip contusion) back on the court. He was listed questionable prior to tip-off, with another surprising name on the latest injury report.
Butler was listed with right knee inflammation following his 33-point, 10-rebound effort against the Utah Jazz. He also tallied eight assists in that one and has been averaging nine assists per game for the month of February. He’s one of the most unselfish player in the league.
“I got the easy job, I get to pass it to guys that can shoot,” Butler said. “Guys that can finish at the rim. I get a stat for it, but they get two or three points. [I try to] affect the game in a numerous amount of ways. I think I’m a decent player so rebound pass the ball, maybe even score a little bit.”
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