The Miami Heat want to keep Goran Dragic this summer as a free agent, but teams like the New York Knicks, LA Lakers, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers may also chase him in free agency and this comes as the team is reportedly considering offering Dragic a below max contract offer to help keep Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside in the future.
Dragic is going to be one of the top targets on the market this offseason and while Miami has the inside track to keeping the point guard, there is a chance he could leave. Dragic was traded to the team at the deadline for first round picks and one of the main priority for Miami is to sign Dragic. Earlier in the season Dragic said the five years that Miami can offer puts them in a good position to keep him, but he also said that he plans on testing the market.
According to Marc Stein at ESPN.com, the Heat are planning to offer Dragic a five year deal, but they are going to first offer him $80 million and not the max deal that he reportedly desires. Dragic said that the extra year that Miami can offer is a big factor in what he does in the future, but if the team goes below the max, he may consider signing elsewhere. The team really wants to keep Dragic, but they have other pressing concerns and the issues with Dwyane Wade's contract could force the team to give him below the max deal.
Pro Basketball Talk writes that if Miami does in fact offer Dragic a deal below the max, there is a good chance he "takes a step back and assess his options." The Lakers and the Knicks are expected to go after Dragic hard, while the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets have also expressed interest in Dragic. Stein added that Wade has a $16 million player option for next year that he has not decided on, while Luol Deng has a $10.2 million player option that he has not yet decided on. All of that will play into what Miami does.
If the Knicks or Lakers go with a max deal that they can offer, it likely will at least give Dragic some thought. The Lakers wanted to trade for Dragic at the deadline, but the team was leery of giving up first round picks for a player that could leave in free agency. Dragic had solid numbers last season and while they were down from the previous year, he is considered to be a max player on the market at point guard.
Miami has some tough issues to deal with, as they have to sign Dragic back and they also have a contract dispute to resolve (or not resolve) with Dwyane Wade. On top of that, the team has to sign Hassan Whiteside on the horizon to a new contract and the team plans on chasing Kevin Durant in 2016 free agency. All of that factors into what the team will do with Wade and Dragic and that could force one or both of the players to leave (or at least consider leaving) this summer.
