Miami Heat stars Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside are currently both mulling over whether or not to pick up the player option on their respective contracts.
One aspect they will certainly both consider is based on a recent report that their roles with the team are highly in question, according to Miami Heat Beat.
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The fact that their roles are in question makes sense for a lot of reasons.
For Dragic, he missed much of the 2018-19 season due to a knee injury and Justise Winslow showed incredible growth serving as the team’s starting point guard in his stead.
For Whiteside, he saw another season of lackluster production lead to a reduction in playing time. By the end of the season, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was opting to go with a starting frontcourt compiled of Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk.
Another major motivator for the Heat to let Dragic and Whiteside know about their uncertain roles with the Heat is certainly financially motivated.
If both players ultimately decide to opt out of their deals, it could mean as much as $20 million coming off the books for the Heat. That financial break could put them in line to sign one of the many NBA stars for the 2019-20 season.
Still considering the fact that Dragic is currently in line to make $19.2 million this season and Whiteside is expected to earn $27 million, it seems quite likely they will take the money even if it does mean a reduction in their playing time.
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