Former NBA All-Star Goran Dragic retires after 15 seasons with Heat, Suns and other NBA teams
Former NBA All-Star Goran Dragic announced his retirement on Saturday after 15 seasons with seven different franchises. Dragic, who most recently appeared with the Milwaukee Bucks last season, was best known for his time with the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns.
The 37-year-old is expected to participate in a two-day farewell event in Slovenia in August of 2024, which will include a game, according to reports out of his native country. Further details regarding the celebration for Dragic will be announced on Jan. 4, when he will speak at a press conference along with Zoran Janković, the mayor of Ljubljana — Slovenia’s capital and Dragic’s hometown.
After turning pro at the age of 17, Dragic enjoyed a number of successful seasons in Slovenia and Spain before declaring for the NBA Draft. He was selected No. 45 overall in 2008 by the San Antonio Spurs, but was traded to the Suns a few days later for Malik Hairston, cash and a 2009 second-round draft pick.
He played sparingly in his first few seasons, but started to make a name for himself in the 2010 playoffs, when he helped the Suns reach the Western Conference finals. Even so, he was traded to the Houston Rockets at the 2011 deadline, though that turned out to be a short-lived partnership. When Dragic became a free agent in 2012, he re-signed with the Suns.
His second stint in Phoenix is when his career really started to take off. In 2014, he won Most Improved Player and made the first and only All-NBA appearance of his career — a 3rd Team selection — after averaging 20.9 points and 5.9 assists per game on 50.5% shooting from the field. The Suns missed the playoffs that season despite winning 48 games.
The next season, Dragic was once again on the move. This time, he was traded to the Miami Heat along with his brother, Zoran. In the summer of 2015, he cashed in on his success, signing a five-year, $90 million deal, which was the biggest contract of his career. With the Heat, he made his first and only All-Star appearance in 2018 and helped the team make the Finals during the 2020 bubble season. Unfortunately, he suffered a plantar fascia injury in Game 1 and missed four of the six games as the Heat were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ahead of the 2021 season, Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors in the Kyle Lowry deal, which began his odyssey around the league. Over the next few seasons he suited up for the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and Bucks.
In addition to his NBA career, Dragic had plenty of success on the international stage. Most notably, he led Slovenia to its first ever EuroBasket title in 2017 and won MVP of the tournament.
Dragic finishes his career with averages of 13.3 points, three rebounds and 4.7 assists across 946 games played (530 starts)
When it comes to year-ending moments such as this, the NBA calendar makes it difficult to encapsulate the most meaningful of the year with its October-to-June scheduling. So breaking down the Best of Miami Heat 2023 can wind up being a tale of two seasons. That said, before we turn to 2024 and its next set of twists and turns, reflections on 10 memorable 2023 chapters for what Pat Riley has built and Erik Spoelsrta has guided. — 1. Game 7 vs. Boston Celtics, Eastern Conference finals: The context is what makes this stand out above all other 2023 moments, a case of rising from the lowest of lows. First, the backstory: The Heat not only jumped to a surprising 3-0 series lead against the heavily favored Celtics, but two nights before this Game 7 at TD Garden, the Heat had lost at the buzzer at home on a stunning put-back basket by Boston guard Derrick White.
First, the backstory: The Heat not only jumped to a surprising 3-0 series lead against the heavily favored Celtics, but two nights before this Game 7 at TD Garden, the Heat had lost at the buzzer at home on a stunning put-back basket by Boston guard Derrick White. Utterly deflated and poised to become the first team ever to blow a 3-0 lead in an NBA playoff series, the Heat instead became the first No. 8 seed to make the NBA Finals in 24 years, behind a brilliant 26-point performance from Caleb Martin and 28 points from series MVP Jimmy Butler. — 2. Games 4, 5 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, Eastern Conference first round: It is difficult not to group these two together considering the commonality of Butler brilliance.
