This comes a day after the team shipped Shabazz Napier to Orlando for what likely will amount to nothing in return.
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The Boston Celtics have acquired guard Zoran Dragic via a trade with the Miami Heat, multiple outlets reported Monday morning. The trade has been officially announced by the Celtics, and the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmeslbach reports that the Heat will pay Dragic’s full salary after Boston waives him. Boston also receives a second round pick from the Heat in exchange for freeing up Dragic’s salary from their roster.
In total, the Heat eliminated roughly $3 million from their 2015-16 cap number. This move could save the Heat about $6 million when the luxury tax is taken into account which means they would have saved more than $11 million in two days with the Dragic and Napier deals. That also doesn’t account for James Young, the second-year shooting guard, whom many liked coming out of Kentucky.
Dragic has played in 16 career games with the Phoenix Suns and Heat, averaging 1.8 points in 4.7 minutes per game.
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As for the Heat this was another move to try and get closer to being below the luxury tax line. The pick protection here is probably such that it doesn’t matter, but it’s not exactly clear what the Celtics saw that would make them help Miami lessen its tax costs.
