Former Miami Heat star Goran Dragić retiring after 15-year NBA career, per reports

Slovenian legend Goran Dragić is retiring from the NBA, but he won't be signing a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Miami Heat like fans might have hoped.

In August, the 39-year-old will play a farewell game in Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, according to multiple reports.

Dragić is best known for his seven seasons with the Heat from 2014 to 2021, a tenure that was highlighted by a run to the NBA finals during the 2019-20 campaign. He recorded averages of 19.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists during the playoffs that year. Through 391 games during his time in Miami overall, he averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

Garnering accolades from Most Improved Player in 2014 to All-Star recognition in 2018, Dragić's NBA career also featured stops with the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.

Dragić most recently played for the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks during the 2022-23 season, averaging 6.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 58 games off the bench. He shot 42.1 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from three.

Dragić's career in the NBA was preceded by four seasons of basketball in his native country. He earned Rookie of the Year and an All-Star nod during the years he played in Slovenia. He was later drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft. The Spurs traded him to the Suns that night.

He made 90 official appearances for Slovenia's national team throughout his career, recording 1,095 points in official matches and 1,760 points in all competitions. He furthered his legacy as captain of the EuroBasket gold medal team in 2017. He also won tournament MVP that year.

His farewell game in Slovenia will be accompanied by a two-day charity event. The philanthropic effort will be in partnership with the Spontanzo company and the Goran Dragić Foundation, per Slovenian sports site SiOL.net, which first reported the news. Dragić will reportedly share details about the event next Thursday during a news conference in Ljubljana. The mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Janković, is also expected to speak.

Since the retirement exhibition is scheduled during the NBA's offseason, plenty of Dragić's former peers will likely be available to attend, including fellow Slovenian Luka Dončić.