Mon, Jul 27, 2015 at 4:13pm

HEAT MOVES MORE SALARY, SENDS Z. DRAGIC TO BOSTON

The Boston Celtics acquired combo guard Zoran Dragic, a 2nd-round draft pick in 2020, and cash from the Miami Heat for a protected 2nd-round draft pick in 2019.

What does it give the Boston Celtics
Several reports say Dragic is unlikely to stay with the Celtics very long, as they already have too many roster players. Clearly, for the Celts this deal is all about the draft pick they receive in return for helping the Heat save some money. Despite all its players, Boston is well under the salary cap and so has the space to make this kind of deal to help teams up against the tax threshold.

What does it give the Miami Heat
Like the Heat's other recent trade (moving Shabazz Napier to Orlando), this swap of Dragic achieves one key goal: cutting salary. The Heat has several big-money veteran contracts, so must move as much non-key salary as possible or face paying millions in luxury tax to the league. It's necessary financially, but also a bit of a tough move for Dragic and his brother Goran, since it splits them up (with the latter recently getting a lucrative deal to stay on as Miami's starting point guard).

Fantasy impact
For the near future at least, this deal doesn't appear to have any fantasy impact; Dragic has barely played so far in his NBA career, and doesn't look likely to do so with the Celtics.