Miami Heat: 5 players who have the most trade value

5. Goran Dragic

Goran Dragic, now 32 years old, is coming off of his first All-Star selection. He has been able to sustain a high level of play for years now. Currently averaging 15.1 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game, Dragic is still one of the league’s best point guards. The only question about him is how long that will remain the case.

Dragic’s high level of play has begun to decline simply due to age. This isn’t to say that he still isn’t an impact player; he’s still the focal point of the offense and the team’s second-leading scorer.

While his shooting splits of 41.6 percent from the field, 32.3 percent from 3, and 76 percent from the free throw line are some of the lowest of his career, he is still a skilled scorer that can shoot and take it to the hole. He is also a capable playmaker and defender.

Nonetheless, he is entering the downside of his career. Teams won’t be willing to give up many major assets for an aging fringe All-Star.

Another factor that limits Dragic’s trade value is his contract. He’s getting paid $18.1 million this season and has a $19.2 million player option for next year. Dragic is not good enough to get offered a max contract, as he will only get worse as he gets older, which means he will most likely opt in to his player option in 2019. However, his contract not being guaranteed for next year makes a trade involving him complicated.

If Dragic doesn’t like the team he’s dealt to, he can decline his player option and become a free agent. The other team might want assurance that Dragic would opt in if they were to give up valuable assets. The possibility of only getting a half-season out of Dragic and the fact that he’s on the downside of his career is one of the reasons he does not have the same trade value as some of his teammates that he’s better than.