Former Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic revealed that he’d like to finish his career in Miami.
All in favor of giving Gogi the Haslem role next season? 🙋🏽♂️🥹
Via @560WQAM @Brendan_Tobin pic.twitter.com/sHzYSuI7nf
— Playbook Sports (@PlaybookSN) June 2, 2023
“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?”
Dragic started the 2022-23 season with the Chicago Bulls, but he was waived and ended up signing with the Milwaukee Bucks. Miami knocked Dragic and the Bucks out of the playoffs this season.
It would be great to see the longtime Heat guard wear their jersey once again, as he was an integral part of the team’s run to the NBA Finals in the 2019-20 season.
A one-time All-Star, Dragic is nearing the end of his NBA career.
This season, Dragic played in 51 games this season in a bench role for the Bulls. He averaged 6.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from 3-point range with Chicago before joining the Bucks.
In limited time in Milwaukee, Dragic appeared in seven games during the regular season, averaging 5.6 points in 11.9 minutes per game.
The Heat brought Dragic in during the 2014-15 season in a trade with the Phoenix Suns. He remained with the franchise through the 2020-21 season, averaging at least 13.4 points per game in each of his seasons in Miami.
Pat Riley and the Heat front office made a tough decision to move on from Drafic in the 2021 offseason, packaging him in a sign-and-trade deal for guard Kyle Lowry.
While it hurt seeing Dragic leave, Lowry has been a big part of Miami’s success in the playoffs this season, adapting well to a bench role.
Miami has been known to keep a veteran leader on the roster late in his career, as Udonis Haslem has held that role for several seasons. With Haslem expected to retire following the 2022-23 season, it’s possible the Heat could bring Dragic back to fill that void for the 2023-24 campaign.
As great as a Dragic reunion would be, the Heat have a bigger issue at hand right now. The team is down 1-0 in the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets, and it is focused on winning that series to become the first No. 8 seed in NBA history to win a title.
Once the offseason hits, fans should get a better perspective if Dragic is going to actually be an option for Miami next season.
