Pro: Keeping A Fan Favorite
Eric Bledsoe is this team’s best player right now and Alex Len has a very bright future, but it’s fairly obvious that Goran Dragic is this fan base’s most beloved player.
He’s the closest thing the Suns have had to a “face of the franchise” since Steve Nash left, he’s been nothing if not loyal in Phoenix — his second home away from Slovenia — and, let’s be honest, his sincerity mixed with his accent makes him downright adorable in the eyes of fans.
I’ll put it this way: fans were pissed the LAST time the Suns traded Dragic (and a draft pick) to the Houston Rockets for Aaron Brooks, and that was back when Gogi was only a bench player.
Now that he’s become the Dragon, a Third Team All-NBA player and Most Improved Player? Trading him to make Isaiah Thomas and Eric Bledsoe’s new backcourt partners would definitely rub fans the wrong way, especially since Dragic is extremely effective when he actually has the ball in his hands.
My guess is that Dragic wants to stay in PHX but wants promise from Suns to get him PG minutes back. Not all, but some. Like last yr.
— Dave King (@DaveKingNBA) February 16, 2015
Con: He Might Leave Anyway
The Suns’ commitment to bringing Dragic back this summer is noble, but what if the offseason goes all Linkin Park on them and in the end, it doesn’t even matter? McDonough’s three point guard gambit was well-intentioned, and he should be given the benefit of the doubt since every move he’s made has turned pennies into dollar bills.
But the arrival of Thomas made the backcourt too crowded and took the ball out of Dragic’s hands, not only forcing him to work off the ball on offense, but also to guard small forwards and tire himself out on the defensive end. The Dragon isn’t having a bad season, but it’s definitely a step down from last year when he became a top-five point guard.
Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic has reported a few times that Dragic is growing frustrated with this role and at this point in time, the only way to alleviate that tension would be trading IT.
But even that guarantees nothing. Once Dragic opts out of his contract (as he would even if he wants to re-sign with the Suns so he can earn a larger deal), he’s a free agent. He’s free to sign with anybody. If he’s not satisfied with his role, with the direction of this young team, with potentially missing the playoffs again or with the contract Phoenix can drum up, he might leave anyway.
Next: Trading IT