Phoenix Suns Early Free Agent Targets: Goran Dragic
Goran Dragic chose to avoid the assumed title-bound Suns this past season when looking for a new team. Instead he linked up with former teammate Steve Nash on the Brooklyn Nets after scoring a buyout.
The Boston Celtics quickly disposed of Dragic and his new team this postseason, but that was not Dragic’s fault. He filled in admirably as the team’s sixth man, averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
Goran Dragic finishes the and-1 off the glass 🏀#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel on TNT pic.twitter.com/BOv1yIRQWq
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2022
But now, Dragic enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Just like the Nets appealed to Dragic with some nostalgia in the shape of Nash, the Suns can do so being the team he played for during the large part of his first six years in the NBA, even if some of those years were rocky at best.
When the Dragic and the Nets lost this year though, he seemed frustrated, making a reunion something relatively unlikely. Being the competitor that he is, the Dragon likely wants a more committed team with less drama, and Phoenix can offer him that.
Goran Dragic on his time in Brooklyn: "Every day there was something different, something difficult." Said he hasn't thought about his free agency situation.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) April 26, 2022
Even if the Suns get into trouble with their cap space after the Ayton ordeal plays out, they can likely still sign Dragic using their mid-level exception. Dragic’s veteran poise and skills probably warrant more, but he might aim to once again take a discount to play with a contender, and the MLE resembles a solid common ground for that.
If Dragic indeed puts pen to paper with the Suns, he promises to do what the Suns hoped Cameron Payne would and back up Chris Paul with clean, but aggressive play off the bench.