The one year anniversary of the Miami Heat trading for Goran Dragic just recently passed and looking back on it the year hasn't gone great. Dragic isn't a great fit for the Heat's system and his numbers have taken a major hit with Miami. This offseason Pat Riley is expected to pursue Mike Conley in free agency, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, which would likely signal the end of Dragic's Miami tenure.
Conley is in the final year of his deal with the Memphis Grizzlies and he is expected to be one of the most coveted free agents this summer. Kevin Durant is obviously the number one guy but Conley is right there given how important the point guard position is. Conley will be 29 next season and is certainly worthy of all the attention he will get as a free agent but the Heat are not a team anybody would have expected to be involved.
The Heat signed Dragic to a five-year $85 million deal this offseason which seemed to indicate he was their point guard of the future. Now that doesn't seem so certain as the Heat would reportedly be willing to move on from him if they could lure Conley. Conley is more of a defensive player than Dragic, which the Heat like, and there certainly wouldn't be room for both of them on the team.
Conley is expected to weigh all of his options this offseason as a free agent but his former coach in Memphis, Lionel Hollins, thinks his main goal is to get paid, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York. Conley will likely garner a maximum contract in the offseason and if he is offered the max by everyone including the Grizzlies he would likely stay because they can pay him more. The Grizzlies are considered the heavy favorites to keep Conley but he recently said "everything will be on the table" and some believe he may want a bigger market, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.
Miami definitely represents a bigger market than Memphis and Riley reportedly holds Conley in very high regard. It is still too early to tell what might happen but it is definitely interesting to hear that the Heat will pursue a top point guard in free agency when they just gave out a big, long-term contract to a point guard this past offseason. Dragic hasn't been the same guy in Miami as he was in Phoenix so it makes sense that the Heat would look to upgrade. You also have to keep in mind they would likely have to find a taker for Dragic and the four years left on his contract should they sign Conley.
