Pro: Proving Loyalty
The Suns wanting to reward a fan favorite, especially one who has slowly grown into one of the best players at his position, is commendable. This is the guy who scored 23 of his 26 points off the bench in the fourth quarter of a playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs once upon a time. There aren’t many ways to endear yourself to this fan base quicker than that.
This is a franchise that’s never won a championship. Their three best players over the last decade — Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion — all had to move on eventually. Dragic isn’t exactly on their level, but after years of dabbling in mediocrity, providing some sense of continuity — especially by keeping around a genuinely nice guy beloved by the fans — feels important.
A year ago, it seemed like a a done deal that the Suns would re-sign Dragic. He and Bledsoe meshed well in the backcourt together and the Suns had one of their most memorable/surprising seasons in franchise history despite missing the playoffs. Keeping him around is what everyone in Phoenix wants to see happen.
Suns would face a PR disaster if they traded Dragic for anything less than a star player. PHX fans are very loyal, & FO knows this.
— Sean Sullivan (@SeanSullivanNBA) February 12, 2015
Con: At What Cost?
That being said, the cost of keeping Goran Dragic might be a bit too steep for a team that has tons of young players. The Suns would prefer to keep Dragic over Thomas, but Dragic is already 28 years old and his next contract would extend into his early 30s.
Gogi’s game is crafty and driven by his high basketball IQ, but as he continues to age, he probably won’t be the same one-man fast break anymore. He’s never been particularly athletic, but speed is a very big part of what makes him so difficult to defend. Best-case scenario, he’s a less effective version of Steve Nash once he hits his 30s.
With the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly ready to offer Dragic a max-level deal worth $80 million over four years this summer, it’s going to take a massive contract to make staying worth the Dragon’s while. The Suns can offer Dragic a max of $109 million over five years, giving them an edge over the rest of the league.
But is Dragic worth that kind of major commitment? He’s more than just a fan favorite; he’s an immensely talented player the Suns could use in taking the next step toward contention. But the end of his prime won’t coincide with Len’s prime, and that’s a major amount of cap space to commit to an aging player.
Next: Playoffs vs. Long-Term