Goran Dragic was productive in 2015 with the Miami Heat and the team plans to offer him a five-year deal, according to a report by ESPN.
Dragic will officially become a free agent soon and could be a highly sought after commodity. The monetary value of the five-year pact is reported to be $80 million. This represents a significant raise for Dragic over his previous salary, but is not the most that Miami can offer.
The Heat hold an advantage in that only they can offer Dragic five years. All other NBA teams can only go as high as four years. However, a maximum deal for Dragic would exceed $100 million for Miami. At $80 million over five years, it is theoretically possible that another team could offer Dragic more money even with one less year.
Heat president Pat Riley has his hands full this off-season, with the possibility that Dwyane Wade could opt out and head to the free agent market as well. Due to the possibility of needing to overspend to retain Wade, Miami would have trouble offering Dragic a max deal.
If Dragic was to bolt Miami, it would put the team in a precarious position. The Heat acquired Dragic due to a need for production from its point guard position. Seeing Dragic land elsewhere would force Miami to find another PG or turn to an internal option such as Mario Chalmers.
Dragic who is 29-years old made it known that he enjoyed his time in Miami and would be open to a return engagement. The guard may feel that he can get more in another location in terms of both money and title contention. It is possible that the Heat could lose both Wade and Luol Deng this off-season, which significantly hinder their chances of returning to the postseason.
Free agency in the NBA officially begins on July 1st.
