Pro: Better Shot At The Playoffs
With the Suns still occupying a playoff spot, trading Goran Dragic before the Feb. 19 deadline would be calling it quits on the season. Trading IT would be an attempt at addition by subtraction, but trading Dragic wouldn’t make the Suns any more likely to make the playoffs.
Finding minutes for the youngsters like Archie Goodwin and T.J. Warren would be one benefit of trading Dragic, but this team hasn’t been to the postseason since 2010. Even an uneventful first round exit is better than another formative year. This young team needs to make the playoffs and grow together at some point in time.
The best way to do that? Keep Dragic, trade IT and make the damn postseason. Nobody’s saying it’ll be easy, but what better way to convince Dragic to re-sign (and possibly take a “hometown” discount) than making the playoffs? It’s really the best way to prove to Dragic — and the fans — that this team hasn’t reached its ceiling yet and the future is worth investing in.
Con: Focus On The Long-Term
But what if one first round exit isn’t enough for Dragic? What if he wants to earn as much money as he can (as most people do in their professions) and wants to be a team’s leading floor general again? What if he wants to play on a contender like the Houston Rockets?
By keeping Dragic, there’s a chance this all backfires. By trading Isaiah Thomas and then losing Dragic in free agency, the Suns would be without two of their three point guards. They’d have cap space, sure, but when was the last time a big-name free agent decided to come down to Phoenix?
The Suns could hold out for the Kevin Love pipe dream, but the Dragon could burn them. And even if he doesn’t, it’ll take a major contract to lock him down. By the time Len, Bledsoe and the Morrii reach their primes, Dragic will be past his and still locked into a mega deal. With the front office focused on moving closer to contending one day, keeping Dragic might directly conflict with this team’s ability to do so.
What do you think, Suns fans? Should Phoenix do their best to keep Goran Dragic or is it time to move on?
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