NBA Rumors: Miami Heat Could Replace Goran Dragic With Spencer Dinwiddie, ‘Bleacher Report’ Suggests
After his five-year, $85 million contract expires, Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic will once again enter the free agency market this offseason. With his contribution to the team’s success last season, bringing him back for another year makes a lot of sense for the Heat. However, with his health and injury history, there is still a possibility that the Heat may consider other options, especially if Dragic demands another long-term deal.
Instead of re-signing Dragic to a multiyear contract, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report suggested that the Heat could engage in a trade deal with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire point guard Spencer Dinwiddie. In the proposed scenario, Miami would be sending a package that includes Kendrick Nunn and Andre Iguodala to Brooklyn in exchange for Dinwiddie. While allowing them to replace Dragic with a younger and healthier floor general, Swartz believes that trading for Dinwiddie would also enable the Heat to maintain their salary cap flexibility for the summer of 2021, when they are expected to chase Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in free agency.
“The Heat should be looking for potential replacements for unrestricted free agent point guard Goran Dragic while also maintaining their financial flexibility heading into 2021. Dinwiddie would be the perfect fit as a 27-year-old floor general who averaged 20.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 31.2 minutes per game for the Nets this past season. He has a $12.3 million player option for the 2021-22 season, meaning he can either opt out and open up more cap space for Miami or stay on an incredibly reasonable contract.”
Dinwiddie may not be an All-Star caliber player, but his arrival in South Beach would undoubtedly make the Heat a more competitive team in the Eastern Conference in the 2020-21 NBA season. Aside from his ability to run the floor and make plays for his teammates, he’s also a very reliable scoring option and a decent perimeter defender. The Heat likely wouldn’t mind losing Iguodala and Nunn for Dinwiddie, since they still have plenty of quality players like Jae Crowder, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, and Derrick Jones Jr. to man their backcourt and their wing.
The potential trade would also be beneficial for the Nets. In exchange for Dinwiddie, they would be receiving two quality role players who would help Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving carry the team next year. Iguodala, who was KD’s teammate in Golden State, would give the Nets a veteran defensive specialist with plenty of championship experience, while Nunn would provide them with a young contributor in their second unit that could serve as the primary backup for Irving.
