After a rough finish to the 2021-22 season, the 2022-23 campaign has been filled with more struggles for the Chicago Bulls. They currently find themselves in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a 28-34 record, and they haven't shown any signs of being able to turn things around. They also recently admitted defeat on an offseason free agent signing in Goran Dragic, who did not pan out in the way he was expected to for the Bulls.

Dragic was brought in as insurance for the Bulls in the event that Lonzo Ball was unable to return to the court this season. Sure enough, Ball won't play at all this season, meaning that, in theory, the Dragic signing should have paid dividends. But Dragic has not been effective for Chicago this season (6.4 PPG, 2.7 APG, 1.4 RPG, 42.5 FG%) and was recently dropped from their rotation entirely.

Chicago releasing Dragic isn't necessarily surprising, but it's clear that he could help out a playoff-caliber team that needs a guard to help them off the bench. That's why a reunion with the Miami Heat, Dragic's former team, may be in the picture here. Let's take a look at why this would make sense for both sides, and why the Heat should do what it takes to bring Dragic back.

The Heat must pursue a Goran Dragic reunion

Dragic has bounced around the league a bit throughout his career, playing for six different teams. But it's clear the team he had the most success with was the Heat. Dragic earned his only All-Star appearance with the Heat during the 2017-18 season, and was the leader of some scrappy underdog teams before the arrival of Jimmy Butler and emergence of Bam Adebayo.

While the Heat are still in position to atleast make the Play-In Tournament, it hasn't been easy sledding for them either this season. They appeared set to go on a run up the standings in the East prior to the All-Star break, but they have struggled ever since returning to action, even after shoring up their rotation by bringing in veteran big man Kevin Love on the buyout market.

Due to a combination of injuries and poor play from solid contributors last season, the Heat have taken a step back this season, and while adding a big man to their rotation in Love was a far bigger need, Miami could use some help in their backcourt. That would make Dragic a very enticing option to come in and add another layer to their rotation.

Last year, the Heat's guard rotation primarily consisted of Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, and Gabe Vincent during their postseason run, with Max Strus chipping in as a shooting guard/small forward hybrid as well. But this season, while Herro has remained a strong offensive player, Lowry, Vincent, and Strus have all taken big steps back. Victor Oladipo has also seen a bigger role lately, but he's also only shooting 39.6 percent from the floor.

Dragic isn't the immediate answer for the Heat's backcourt woes, but he's a familiar face who could offer a burst of scoring off the bench from time to time. He can run the point on offense when needed, and he's always been a good decision-maker when operating the offense. Considering how Lowry has struggled with injuries, and the options aside from Herro continue to underwhelm, adding Dragic may not be such a bad idea.

The Heat need to do what they can to make the lives of Butler and Adebayo easier, which they haven't had much success in doing this season. The supporting cast that nearly helped them get to the Finals last season has been practically nonexistent this time around. Nobody is going to want to face Miami in the playoffs due to their recent winning pedigree, but they aren't as imposing as they have been in recent seasons.

There are obviously flaws in Dragic's game that have led him to getting released by the Bulls in the first place. He's a defensive liability, and while he may help the offense out, is he good enough on defense to earn minutes for a Heat team that makes its money on the defensive end of the court? Dragic's shooting splits as a whole are also down from his typical averages, so it's fair to wonder how impactful he'd actually be.

Miami can't choose to get picky when it comes to adding help for their current squad after sitting out the trade deadline for the most part, and it's clear that while Dragic has his flaws, there are areas of this team he could help out. For a struggling Heat team, they should be willing to take all the help they can get, and for that reason, bringing Dragic back would make a lot of sense for them.