NBA Trade Deadline: Goran Dragic to Miami Heat
The Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns have completed a multi-player, three-team deal that will send Goran Dragic to South Beach.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports delivered the report.
Source: Miami sends Danny Granger, Norris Cole, Shawne Williams, Jordan Hamilton and two first-round picks to the Suns for Dragic brothers.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
Williams will be bought out.
New Orleans plans to buyout the contract of Shawne Williams, league source tells Yahoo Sports. That adds another good shooter to market.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
Veteran wing John Salmons will go from the Pelicans to the Suns.
As part of deal, New Orleans trades John Salmons to Phoenix, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
Shawne Williams will end up in New Orleans.
As part of massive deal, Miami sends Shawne Williams to New Orleans, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
Alex Kennedy of BasketballInsiders.com reports that Norris Cole and Justin Hamilton will also head to New Orleans, thus giving the Pelicans an actual backup point guard.
I'm told that Norris Cole and Justin Hamilton are both heading to the Pelicans as part of the large trade with Miami and Phoenix.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 19, 2015
The player at the heart of the deal was Dragic.
The 28-year-old Slovenian is a dynamic point guard who’s been asked to play the 2 with the Suns. He has the skills to work off-guard, including a lights out jump shot, but he’s more comfortable working with the ball in his hands.
For the Heat, that’s the type of presence they’ve needed with Dwyane Wade’s health and Chris Bosh drawing double-teams limiting offensive success.
In 2013-14, with Eric Bledsoe missing nearly half the season, Dragic won Most Improved Player and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. With Bledsoe healthy in 2014-15, however, he’d been relegated to a lesser role.
In Miami, he’ll play a bigger part on a team that’s on pace to make the playoffs in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.
Dragic’s agent informed the Suns that his client would not re-sign, per Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports, and Dragic confirmed it publicly, per Paul Coro of AZCentral Sports. On his shortlist of preferred destinations, the Heat ranked near the top.
Dragic will be an unrestricted free agent this coming summer, but Pat Riley cleared up cap space via this trade and landed a star-caliber player in a big market.
He also landed Dragic’s brother, Zoran, to sweeten the deal.