According to CBS Sports' Ethan J. Skolnick, the Miami Heat are receiving — and rebuking — trade offers for stud point guard, Goran Dragic.
On Wednesday afternoon — the eve of the 2017 NBA Draft — South Florida media member Ethan Skolnick reported a bit of scuttle regarding Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic.
The past few days had been eerily quiet in Miami, despite the chaos going on around the league. The Boston Celtics traded the No. 1 pick to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks dealt poor Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Hornets and multiple teams are reportedly interested in acquiring Paul George.
Multiple teams, that is, besides the Heat. Nonetheless, Skolnick mentioned that Miami has spoken to George's current squad, the Indiana Pacers, recently — just not about the All-Star wing. In Skolnick's own words:
"There are teams that have inquired about Goran Dragic…and at every turn, the Heat has rebuffed those overtures. Does that mean there's no chance he'll be traded? No, but it does mean there has been interest out there in Dragic; teams are sort of poking around to see if the Heat will make a move there. One of the teams I had heard showed some interest is Indiana…the Heat, so far, has decided that they don't want to move him."
Intriguing report, for a few reasons.
For starters, one has to wonder what Indiana could have possibly offered Miami in return for the Slovenian floor general. (If talks even got that far.)
The Pacers own their next eight first round picks through 2024 — a luxury Pat Riley's can't similarly claim. Dealing a vet like Dragic for a future first-rounder or two to help replenish a bare cupboard of assets would be the unpopular but ultimately forward-thinking move by Miami. Whether they'd actually go through with it is another matter entirely.
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Plus, it's not like Indiana has a roster full of desirable players either. There's George, sure, but aside from him, who else would Miami really covet from the Pacers, presuming the studly Myles Turner is untouchable? C.J. Miles? Al Jefferson? Monta Ellis? From a Heat perspective, that's a whole lotta nope.
However, the ugly truth is still: Dragic just turned 31 and is coming off arguably his best season as a professional. Thus, his value will likely never be this high again. Perhaps it would be salient to strike while the iron is hot and try to recoup some assets while you still can.
We must also wonder: Who else has called Miami about their lead guard? Maybe point guard-needy teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Denver Nuggets? Perhaps contenders who'd like more firepower in their lineups, like the Houston Rockets or the Utah Jazz?
Whatever the case may be, the most important part of what Skolnick said was that the Heat rebuked all offers. It would appear team brass is set on bringing this core back, adding a healthy Justise Winslow and the No. 14 pick, and trying their luck again in 2017-18.
And though that may not be the most exciting strategy, considering Miami won 30 of its final 41 games last season, it may be the most prudent.
