Last night Phoenix Suns fans got the bad news they’d been hoping wouldn’t be true all week long: fan favorite Goran Dragic wants out of the Valley of the Sun.
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As first reported by USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick, Dragic’s agents have told the Suns he has no plans of re-signing with the team as a free agent this summer. The next task at hand in clearing out the backcourt is finding a suitable deal for the closest thing to the face of the Suns franchise.
There are several complications to a Dragic deal, however. First of all, last night’s news stomps out any leverage the Suns had in potential trade talks now that everyone knows he’s going to leave Phoenix in free agency. For another thing, teams won’t be willing to take a risk and give up assets for Dragic unless they have assurance he’ll be interested in re-signing with this summer.
Another potential complication is that Dragic’s agents gave the Suns a list of preferred trade destinations, though general manager Ryan McDonough could easily go rogue and trade him wherever he pleases. The Suns could also continue with their former plans of trading Isaiah Thomas and using the rest of the season to convince Gogi to stay this summer, but Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic says that’s not a solution:
Goran Dragic wants the #Suns to trade him, sources say. He is set on leaving in free agency even if Thomas is dealt. http://t.co/x5J5GSW5gN
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) February 18, 2015
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers are on Dragic’s list of desirable trade destinations. All of those options offer him the chance at an increased role like he had last season, a max-level extension this summer, or both.
The Houston Rockets, curiously, are not on that list despite their desire to add the Dragon to their ranks for a title run. We’ll get to why that might be in a little bit, but for the time being, the question most Suns fans are asking is: What can Phoenix get out of a potential Goran Dragic trade?
The Suns will be wanting a first round draft pick and a potential star, but which teams not only have that to offer, but also have Dragic’s affection, a need at the point guard position AND the cap room to re-sign him this summer?
Before we continue, we have to sadly acknowledge the fact that the Knicks have virtually no chance (or incentive) to trade for Dragic before the deadline. You have to have assets to be able to make trades, after all.
Welp. RT @RyanImparato: @HerringWSJ pic.twitter.com/VHwGSfaU4R
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) February 18, 2015
With that in mind, here’s a look at five potential trade destinations for Goran Dragic.
Next: Honorable Mention