Goran Dragic suffered an untimely injury when he suffered a plantar fascia tear in Game 1 of the 2019-20 NBA Finals. The Slovenian was sorely missed by the Heat with Jimmy Butler willing his way to carry the club against the souped-up Los Angeles Lakers.
Most know that the Lakers needed six games to win their 17th title against the stubborn Heat. Dragic tried to play in Game 6 but it was pretty clear that he was not at 100-percent. He is set to become a free agent this offseason and there is no telling if he will still be with the team next NBA season.
His injury is a concern, the same with his age. The good news is that Dragic will not undergo surgery and just needs to rest, ESPN reported.
“They told me when you snap the fascia, it’s basically you did your own surgery. So from now on, just rest and it’s gonna get better on their own,” Dragic said. "So I don’t need to go to the doctor, no surgery, nothing. But like I said, the one thing that I didn’t have was time, and it was tough.”
A journey we'll never forget.@JimmyButler @Goran_Dragic | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/bxFxe9vQUW — Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 12, 2020
There is no question the Heat could have pulled something off had Dragic been at 100-percent. But with that over and done with, the best Miami can do for now is figure out what to do next season. Dragic and Jae Crowder are two players headed to free agency and their fates should be known moving forward.
For Dragic, the best he can expect is a short-term deal. At his age, rarely would any team give them a long-term and lucrative tenure. As far as his salary, Pat Riley is likely to trim down numbers. Recall that the Slovenian was among the players that the Heat had wanted to deal away as Miami tried to find ways to gain financial flexibility.
If Dragic opts to test the market, he is unlikely to get anything significantly better. There are a lot of younger guards that other teams could target, not to mention affordable. Hence, Dragic may be forced to accept a mid-level offer at the list but short-term.
Of course, Miami could reward Dragic with at least one big contract for another year. But based on several factors, this is unlikely to be something near his last contract with the South Beach club. In short, the team that can probably offer the Slovenian the best package is the Heat.
