Orlando is among several teams that have contacted the Heat about Goran Dragic, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The Magic are looking to solidify their point guard position, which belonged to Elfrid Payton when the season began, but was taken over by D.J. Augustin in late November. Dragic still has three years and more than $54MM left on his current contract. He is averaging 19.0 points and 6.5 assists in 32 games this season, but has missed time recently with back problems.
There’s more news today out of Orlando:
- After losing six of their last seven and dropping to 16-24, the Magic need to act quickly to save their season, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. Offense has been a problem for Orlando all year, and Schmitz says the team needs to find a scorer who can create his own shot. He suggests Allen Crabbe of the Trail Blazers as a realistic target and suggests offering, possibly with shot-blocking center Bismack Biyombo going to Portland in return.
- Nikola Vucevic will be back in the starting lineup tonight, with Biyombo coming off the bench, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Vucevic was demoted along with Payton in the November shakeup. Coach Frank Vogel plans to utilize more “small-ball” lineups with Jeff Green moving to power forward and Mario Hezonja back in the rotation as a backup small forward.
- The Magic made a huge error when they gave up on Maurice Harkless two years ago, Robbins argues in a separate piece. After three disappointing seasons in Orlando, Harkless was traded to Portland in the summer of 2015 in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2020. He was a regular starter for the Blazers during last year’s playoffs and has started all 40 games in which he has appeared this season. “It was a tough situation: a lot of guys trying to figure it out, including the staff and the front office,” Harkless said of his time in Orlando. “It was a unique situation. It was tough. Obviously, it wasn’t going to work out for everybody. I think a change of scenery is what I needed.”
Don’t know how they’d match salaries in this scenario, but if Orlando wants Dragic it would probably be Aaron gordon, Stephen Zimmerman and their 2017 first round pick, and 2nd rounder for Dragic and Ellington…Orlando shouldn’t do that, but they also shouldn’t have given away Tobias Harris or traded Oladipo to sign Jeff Green and Biyombo…
As a Heat fan, I’d prefer to trade Whiteside than Dragic
I don’t see any reason to trade Whiteside, and I’m a heat fan. With the Heat being expected to get a top 5 pick in this coming guard heavy draft, it makes so much more sense to trade Dragic.
I don’t want to have to type out a whole narrative on what’s wrong with whiteside again lol, so I’ll just say dude puts forth no effort way too often, and isn’t a Miami Heat player. He doesn’t play team basketball on either end of the floor. Get rid of him and his money for a young player and a pick, and then sign Heyward, Milsap/Rudy Gay, and someone else in the offseason with the cap space. Now you have a really good young core that you can let develop around a contending team built around Dragic, or you can trade 1-2 of those assets. That team would easily he a top 3-4 team in the East immediately, with room for growth from the young guys…You aren’t going to get a comparable guard like Dragic for his contract…
I’d still reexplore a Dragic trade before the draft, but I’m more likely to keep him unless I get something really worthwhile in return…but I still have to move Whiteside ASAP, especially before people realize who he really is
That’s a ton of optimism regarding free agency. Of the above mentioned I can really honestly see only Rudy Gay accepting the Heat and even then, do you move him to PF?
Obviously he plays the 4. Honestly, anyone that has seen this team play sees they aren’t nearly as bad as their record. They haven’t been healthy for 1 game, and every game is close. They just can’t make free throws and have a backhole at the 4 other than James Johnson, who has been unbelievable. Also, Whiteside is a Stat chasing, lazy quitter, which has hurt them for stretches. They have a lot of cap room, and some good young players. I don’t think they’ll 1000% get the top free agents, but I think they have a shot at building something similar to what I mentioned, assuming they attempt to. Riley doesn’t do rebuilding
My issue with the Oladipo trade was throwing in the pick. Oladipo for Ibaka would’ve been fine.
It would have made a lot more sense before they signed Biyombo and/or didn’t move Vucevic…but ya, the addition of Sabonis made it a bigger issue…a good example of them doing exactly what the poster below says they wouldnt, which is why I don’t put it past them, at this point lol
Um no way Magic are dealing Gordon and their 2017 first round pick for 30 year old Dragic. Gordon is only in play if dealing for all-star type player. And Dragic is not that. If going after Jimmy Butler then yes Gordon and a 1st could be on the table. But no way for Dragic.
Like I said, orlando shouldn’t do that, but that’s what it would take…and Orlando doesn’t have the assets for Butler, even with Gordon, in my opinion
I believe Magic could have the assets to pull off Butler trade. However I think if Chicago is serious about trading him their first priority would be to trade with Boston and get the 2017 Nets pick
I still don’t think they would trade Butler, but Boston does probably have a proposal they could make to make it interesting. Minnesota as well, but I wouldn’t do it in their case
I think you’re going to have to find a 3rd team in a Dragic to Orlando trade. One that sends Vucevic out to another team. Doubtful but it looks interesting.
Heat get Carmelo Anthony
Magic get Dragic
Knicks get Vucevic & McRoberts
Why would the knicks do that, and orlando upgrades significantly there for not much
If the Knicks are trying to get out of Melo and most clean house for a rebuild there are only a few options really out there. Money works on this though.
Although I could see a 3 team scenario with Whiteside. Doesn’t look like Cousins is getting moved, but maybe in a Celtics move, the Heat could send Whiteside to Sacramento for the assets, or possibly outright him to Boston themselves. Celtics could play him off the bench to give them the big that can rebound and protect the rim that they need.
Whiteside would be a very expensive bench player tho.
He can play 25-28 minutes for them, similar to his role last year on the Heat. He could theoretically still start, but I think he’d be more effective off the bench, which is easier for them to do than the heat b/c of circumstances. I have a couple of iterations of deals in mind that wouldn’t empty the celtics basket of assets