Report: Multiple teams looking to trade for Goran Dragic
Could Goran Dragic be the next prominent point guard involved in a trade?
The Phoenix Suns went and signed guard Isaiah Thomas to a four-year deal this summer in free agency. After much back and forth in negotations with Eric Bledsoe, the Suns were able to re-sign the guard to a five-year deal.
Dragic, who won the NBA’s Most Improved Player awards last season, is still considered the lead guard for this team, but you can’t help but think that one of these guards might be expendable. Since Dragic will opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, he could be the most likely candidate to be traded by the Suns. That of course depends on if Dragic sticks to his guns and commits to re-signing with Phoenix, but in case that’s still up in the air, teams are contacting the Suns about Dragic anyway.
From Ken Berger of CBSSports.com:
The Phoenix Suns, who visited the lowly Knicks on Saturday, are in a bit of a quagmire with free agent-to-be Goran Dragic, rival executives say. Multiple teams already are inquiring as to what it would take to break up the Suns’ three-headed guard rotation of Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas — with Dragic, a prospective free agent, garnering the most attention. Coincidentally, executives have gotten the impression that Dragic is the one Phoenix would most like to keep if they do, indeed, decide to make a move. …
The anticipated rise in the salary cap resulting from the NBA’s $24 billion TV deal has bolstered Phoenix’s hopes of re-signing Dragic, which they fully intend to do, a league source said. But in the meantime, they’ll listen to offers as they try to establish his value on the open market and what it will cost to pay him.
The team to watch here is Houston, which has been after Dragic since he left as a free agent in 2012.
Getting Dragic back would be the right idea for Houston, but I’m curious what kind of proper value trade they could offer Phoenix in exchange. Dragic has expressed his willingness to re-sign, but what if the Suns get an offer that includes players more suited to their needs, like true big men? In the end you still have your dynamic back court without Dragic, but you have to try and make a quality improvement if trading him before free agency is the move.