The Miami Heat could be among the teams looking to make deals before the deadline, making Goran Dragic a likely trade candidate.
There is a growing sense that Dragic could become available as the February trade deadline approaches. Heat president Pat Riley has insisted that the team intends to get another pick for next year's draft, but ESPN's Nick Silva believes doing so could open up the possibility of trading Dragic, who signed a five-year $85 million with the Heat last year.
"To gain another 2017 first-round pick, Riley may have to trade a player like Dragic, an eight-year NBA veteran making $15.9 million this season. Last month, head coach Erik Spoelstra told Dragic that there was no credence to a rumor that the Heat were talking to the Sacramento Kings about a swap of the starting point guard for Rudy Gay and Darren Collison," Silva wrote.
"While that may have been true in October, Riley could change his mind if the Heat continue to struggle."
Dragic is putting up solid numbers for the Heat this season, averaging 16.9 points, while shooting 44.6 percent from the field, including 47.2 from the three-point area. But his performance has hardly been a factor for the Heat, with the team failing to pile up marks in the winning column, finding themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference rankings.
It is unclear whether the Heat would truly consider trading Dragic, but it should not be too difficult for Miami to deal the 30-year-old point guard should they view him expendable.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who have been looking for a talented backup PG, could emerge as a potential destination for Dragic, although the Cavs do not have much to offer the Heat. The Philadelphia 76ers, who have plenty of future assets at their disposal, would also be an intriguing landing spot for Dragic, with the team looking to bring in a reliable playmaker to run the team's offense.
The Heat have not been known to rely heavily on the draft to acquire cheap young talents, but have rather established themselves to immediately reload to contend for a championship. But with the "Big Three Era" now over, it could be high time the Heat consider rebuilding, which could mean trading Dragic.
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