Goran Dragic Reportedly Agrees to New Contract with Heat | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
William Harris The Miami Heat have long been considered front-runners to re-sign Goran Dragic, and reportedly sealed the deal on keeping the point guard on Wednesday. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported the team agreed to a five-year, $90 million deal, and noted the fifth year was a player option. ESPN's Marc Stein confirmed the report.
Dragic, 29, split last season between Phoenix and Miami, averaging 16.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Those numbers were a stark downturn from his breakout 2013-14 campaign, where he earned third-team All-NBA and Most Improved Player honors.
On May 24, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Dragic "feels strongly" that the Heat need to increase their pace next season. An associate of the former All-NBA guard says he's received "assurances" from team brass—most notably president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra—that Miami will make those changes.
Dragic's dissatisfaction with the Heat's pace is no surprise given his success in Phoenix's go-go style. Miami played with the NBA's second-slowest pace last season, faster than only the Utah Jazz. By contrast, the Suns played at the league's third-fastest pace.
The Heat ramping up the number of their offensive possessions would be an interesting change given their roster composition. Dwyane Wade is essentially a part-time player due to chronic knee problems, Chris Bosh is coming back from a scary blood clot situation and the majority of Miami's roster was put together under the guise of a slower style. Hassan Whiteside and Shabazz Napier are the Heat's only foundational players under the age of 28.
That doesn't exactly portend well to a go-go style. Bosh and Josh McRoberts have the pick-and-pop chops to make it happen, but Wade will turn 34 next season; his game and health benefit from a more deliberate pace.
However, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders noted just how good the Heat could be in the short-term:
Alex Kennedy @AlexKennedyNBAMIA could be very good next year if everyone is back and healthy: Wade, Bosh, Whiteside, Dragic, Deng, McRoberts, possible top 10 pick, etc.
Ultimately, keeping the dynamic playmaking skill of Dragic was a top priority for the Heat this offseason, and he'll be a valuable asset for the Heat for the foreseeable future.
