Miami Heat on Cusp of Locking Down Dragic and Wade?
When the Miami Heat traded two first-round picks for Goran Dragic at last February's trade deadline, the assumption was there was no way Pat Riley would let the bulldog point guard walk in free agency.
After free agency opened at midnight last night, there's been no inclination of deviation on that front with Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick expecting the Heat to sign him to the max early on while also thinking Dwyane Wade "re-ups by week's end." Marc Stein also reported this week on ESPN that it's clear league executives expect Dragic to stay in Miami long-term.
The fact he considers a Josh McRoberts trade "likely" is a bit worrisome. The Heat would obviously prefer to retain Dragic and Wade without suffering major luxury tax implications but if the goal is to contend next season, you want a skilled, versatile big like McRoberts on the roster, especially at his $5.5 million salary. Trading Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen, however, could lighten the roster's salary without sacrificing one of their core players.
On the Wade front, it's wait and see. As of Wednesday morning, he has not taken any meetings. The Lakers are believed to be his top suitor besides the Heat but they've been linked to just about every major free agent on the market, most notable LaMarcus Aldridge.
-- Josh Baumgard (@JoshBaumgard)
