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Goran Dragic: How To Trade Your Dragon

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 8, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) drives baseline against Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) during the first quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 8, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) drives baseline against Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) during the first quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Goran Dragic
Dec 28, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Jordan Hill (27) defends against Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) during the first quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Trade:

The only way the Lakers have enough to trade for Goran Dragic is if they take the top-five protection off the pick they owe the Suns. Jordan Hill is simply there for salary-balancing purposes, but if the Lakers are somehow foolish enough to start vying for the Dragon now, this might be the best deal Phoenix gets.

As of right now, the Lakers owe the Suns a draft pick from the Steve Nash trade. If it falls outside the top-five this season, it goes to the Suns. If it doesn’t, the protection goes to top-three in 2016 and then again in 2017 if the Suns don’t get it in 2016.

By trading for Dragic, the Lakers would be a marginally improved team, which would slightly diminish the pick’s value this year. But would Gogi be able to carry Los Angeles to victories by himself? I doubt it, which means the Suns would be looking at a pick anywhere from No. 4 to No. 9 (worst-case scenario). A different future draft pick probably doesn’t do the trick.

Hill still has another year and $9 million left on his contract after this season, but he’s a useful rebounder who would help bolster a frontcourt in need of help on the boards.

For the Lakers, however, trading for Dragic right now makes ZERO sense unless they’re overwhelmed by fear that a team like the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets or Indiana Pacers will trade for him now and, therefore, have better odds at re-signing him once they have his Bird’s Rights.

Those Bird’s Rights would allow whatever team trades for Dragic to re-sign him to a five-year deal worth $100+ million this summer, as opposed to other teams who would only be able to offer the free agent four years and around $80 million.

If the Lakers want Dragic that badly and are willing to forfeit a top-five pick this season, taking the protection off that pick might represent the best deal McDonough gets. But once sense kicks in and they realize they have a great shot at signing the Dragon as a free agent this summer, the Lakers would be wise to bow out of this trade deadline race and keep their highly valuable pick.

Next: Trade Deadline Heating Up

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