The Lakers almost got their 17th win of the season against the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena, but they came up a bit short. Not only was it painful to watch the Lakers be in contention for most of the game only to lose in the final minutes, but we got to see Goran Dragic light up the Lakers for 21 points, six assists and four rebounds.
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The Lakers missed out on Goran Dragic at the trade deadline. Dragic listed the Lakers as a preferred destination, but the Heat beat out the Lakers and landed 6-foot-3 point guard. According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Dragic is happy in Miami, but will still consider the Lakers in free agency:
"“They’re a great organization and have a history of winning,” Dragic said about the Lakers (16-44). “Right now they’re not having a good season. But that could change anytime.”“It can happen,” Dragic said. “But I’m really happy here right now. We’ll see how those things go from here.”"
The Heat have the leverage when free agency hits, they can offer Dragic a fifth year and $20 million more than anyone else in the league. With Dwyane Wade’s career coming to an end, the Heat will have to start thinking of the future and Dragic could be a part of that.
It remains unclear whether the Heat will give him the max, but if they don’t, that opens the door for other teams to give Dragic the money that he wants. The Lakers have not had much success recently in free agency, so they could be getting desperate.
It’s a good sign to hear Dragic talk highly about the Lakers, but he’s a smart business man and must not eliminate any option off the table. The Heat have the edge, but Dragic controls his own fate and ultimately the highest bidder will likely be his next home.