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Dragic will play Monday vs. Suns despite back spasms

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Back spasms won't keep Goran Dragic from suiting up for a game against his former team, as the Miami Heat point guard will start Monday against the Phoenix Suns.

Dragic skipped shootaround Monday and has been listed as questionable earlier on Monday.

His replacement in Phoenix, Brandon Knight, will start despite dealing with injury issues (a hip pointer) of his own.

Dragic requested a trade from the Suns prior to the trade deadline, having grown tired and distrustful of the organization (comments he later apologized for). The Suns ultimately acquiesced, dealing Dragic and brother Zoran to the Heat in a three-team deal that landed them Danny Granger and two first-round picks.

Phoenix then turned around and dealt Isaiah Thomas to the Boston Celtics before acquiring Knight from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade, surrendering a valuable first-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers, Miles Plumlee and Tyler Ennis in the process.

The early returns from the tumult remain somewhat unclear.

The Heat are 2-3 with Dragic but the accounting of their success has to change some following the loss of Chris Bosh for the season. Dragic has averaged 13.8 points and 5.4 assists in those games but has at times been overlooked in the offense, rendered an onlooker on key possessions. That's something that rubbed him wrong with the Suns and the Heat may need to be more cognizant of if they hope to retain him as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Suns are likewise 2-3 with Knight and appear destined to narrowly miss the playoffs once again. Knight is averaging 13.6 points and four assists since his arrival, but the Suns' side of that particular deal will likely depend on whether Knight sticks around as a restricted free agent, and for how much.

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