Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra recently took time out to address the decision to trade Goran Dragic to the Toronto Raptors for guard Kyle Lowry during the offseason.
Although Spoelstra was close with Dragic, he said the move was based on winning.
At the end of the day, this is a bottom line business. It’s about winning,” Spoelstra said earlier this week. “But you really also want to be able to develop meaningful lasting relationships. That’s the part that you treasure the most."
Dragic had a productive tenure with the Heat since he was acquired in 2016. He averaged 18.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists but Spoelstra felt it was time to make a change. Lowry is a proven player who won a championship with the Raptors.
"That’s the most gratifying in this profession for all of us, when you have these shared experiences that build incredible memories," Spoelstra said. "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 return to preseason action Thursday at the Houston Rockets.
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