After meeting with the Suns on Tuesday, Goran Dragic’s representatives have told team officials that he wants out of Phoenix since he has no intentions of re-signing with them during the summer, according to Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports.
The trade deadline is approaching, and the Suns are expected to grant Dragic his wish by trading him to at least attain some assets in exchange. On Tuesday morning, there were reports suggesting that the Suns would like an All-Star caliber player in return, but it is unlikely that the Suns get too much in exchange since they do not have much leverage anymore.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Los Angeles Lakers are one team on Dragic’s preferred destinations. However, the Lakers would need absolute assurance that the point guard would re-sign with the team before squandering any draft picks or valuable assets.
The Houston Rockets are another team with registered interest, but reports say that Dragic is unlikely to commit to them.
The Miami Heat and New York Knicks are two other preferred destinations for the 28-year-old point guard. New York has pursued Dragic for some time now, but would most likely have to forfeit their highly prized first-round draft pick to obtain him. Meanwhile, the Heat has Norris Cole and possible draft picks to use as trading chips.
Last year’s Most Improved Player has seen his numbers dip slightly this season, averaging 16.2 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 52 games.
The Suns re-signed Eric Bledsoe this past summer to pair him up with Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas, creating a trio of point guards to play the one and two positions. The coupling of the three has not gone as imagined, and Phoenix was hoping Dragic didn’t have to be the odd man out.
Unfortunately for them, it appears that he has to be the one headed out, and the team has to find a deal by Thursday, 3 pm Eastern Time. Otherwise, they could be in danger of losing Dragic without receiving any pieces in return during the offseason.
