It’s official—Goran Dragic is returning to the Miami Heat.
Per multiple sources, including Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowksi and ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Heat have re-signed Dragic to a five-year, $90 million deal. The last year of the deal will include a player option. The contract is a lot less than the estimated max of $108 million, which gives the Heat flexibility in their attempt to re-sign free agent Dwyane Wade.
The 29-year-old point guard was acquired in a midseason trade from the Phoenix Suns in February. He quickly made an impact for the Heat, boosting the team’s fastbreak offense while possessing the ability to penetrate the paint. He averaged 16.6 points and 5.3 assists per game in 26 starts with Miami last season.
The Dragic signing means the Heat will return four of their five projected starters for next season. Luol Deng accepted his player option for the 2015-16 season, while Hassan Whiteside and Chris Bosh are under contract for the 2015-16 season. The only missing piece at the moment is Wade.
Pat Riley’s vision of the team’s core returning healthy for the 2015-16 season is finally coming to fruition.
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