For the first time in a long time, the Miami Heat will be taking the court without guard Goran Dragic on the roster. Via the Miami Herald:
“At the end of the day, this is a bottom line business. It’s about winning,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in advance of Monday night’s preseason opener against the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena. “But you really also want to be able to develop meaningful lasting relationships. That’s the part that you treasure the most. That’s the most gratifying in this profession for all of us, when you have these shared experiences that build incredible memories.
“That’s what I have with Goran. I think back to obviously the really competitive experiences we had in the playoffs. But equally as important and equally as gratifying to me are the trips over to Slovenia and visiting him and his family, and seeing where he was from, how he is and how people respond to him in his country. It was really cool.”
The Heat traded Dragic and center Precious Achiuwa to the Toronto Raptors to acquire six-time All-Star guard Kyle Lowry this past summer. Dragic, 35, publicly expressed his desire to be moved to another team shortly after the deal was made, but Toronto has yet to fulfill his request and the affable Dragic is preparing to begin the season with the Raptors.
