Reports: Rockets & Lakers Persuing Trade For Goran Dragic

[NaturalBuns]

Letting go of Dragic would be a mistake imo. One of the most underrated guards in the league. You can still somewhat maintain your style of play for small ball with a Dragic/Bledsoe backcourt but signing Thomas too was overkill. In an ideal world with no salary cap, sure sign as many PGs as you want but Thomas was redundant and did not serve an area of need as much as adding size would have helped.

Len/Wright/Plumlee
Morris/Morris

Is not too shabby. Len has looked really good at points this season too.

If those guys are so good, why does Hornacek (one of the better HC's in the L right now) continually insist on playing small ball with all 3 of those guards on the floor? Why are they giving up ground in the playoff race? Why does their own front office think the team's ceiling is low?

Bottom line is, that front court just isn't good enough as currently constructed to be a legitimate contender. To give up one of your best players would be extremely foolish. Dragic gives you production at great value for his contract, even when he signs a new contract coming up. Or would you rather keep a 5-8 guard who shoots as much as Iverson?

Your looking at it wrong though.
Bledsoe makes 13mil/yr
Thomas makes 7mil/yr
Ennis makes 1.5/yr

On that alone your looking at 21-22mil.
We all know dragic is a good player and should make Bledsoe type money. Add another 13-15mil from dragic and your pushing the mid 30s of millions into PGs alone.

Also the suns Front Court is not great but they do have promising players Markieff/Len it just takes time to develop

[HotelVitale]

Bottom line is, that front court just isn't good enough as currently constructed to be a legitimate contender. To give up one of your best players would be extremely foolish. Dragic gives you production at great value for his contract, even when he signs a new contract coming up. Or would you rather keep a 5-8 guard who shoots as much as Iverson?

If the Suns want to contend in the West there going to have to give up one of there gaurds and Dragic makes the most sense. You just signed Bledsoe and Thomas for the next couple of seasons and Dragic could possibly walk this season. I'm assuming Dragic is looking for a big pay day so why not let him go and get something in return?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but why is it a good idea for a team to give up your best player because you're worried you're not talented enough overall? I understand how that could work in some cases, but here there's no obvious path for how dropping Dragic will allow them to improve the talent level somewhere down the line.

Here's what I'm seeing: if they cut Dragic's salary entirely they'll be at like $52m this offseason, which wouldn't be enough cap space to lure a younger high-level frontcourt player. They could move some pieces around to make an offer for Greg Monroe, for example, but that means they're giving up Dragic and a prospect or two (to clear cap space) in order to get Monroe and a late first (from a Dragic trade). Monroe is a worse overall player than Dragic, and the late first is very unlikely to make a big impact. And with IT/Bledsoe/Tucker/Morri/Len/Monroe, they're likely to be a little worse than currently: in other words, in 9th to 12th pick purgatory instead of borderline playoff team purgatory.

So why isn't it the best move to throw whatever you need to at Dragic? They'd still be under the tax even if they paid him $16m+, and then they have their choice of moving any of the three PGs that seems the least necessary. The only way this doesn't seem optimal is if they're pretty sure that Dragic will leave the team even if they offer him full boat.

[Amish Mafioso]

Utah needs to get on this. Probably throw in Trey Burke.

They will be a much improve team in the West and can possibly compete for a playoff spot next season, if the young players continue improving.

Nope, that would be very short-sighted on Utah's part. He'd help us win more now, devaluing our upcoming pick, and then he'd likely leave in the offseason. Utah just isn't a team that can afford to gamble on UFAs sticking around. Until we're back in the playoffs, we need to assume UFAs will seek greener pastures.

Also, I know this sucks for suns fans, but there's got to be a pretty good chance he bolts in the offseason, so trading him now is the better alternative. Losing him for nothing would be much worse.

[realball]

No way any team moves a 1st for his expiring contract. Of all the FAs this summer, he's most likely to jump ship and sign with New York.

[jmomcc]

Houston is the obvious team. Just try to work it so that they don't give up their most high upside non stars (Terrence Jones and DMO) and every other non star plus pick should be on the table.

[nodeal]

If PHX was offered NO 1st + capella + filler they should take it and run. PHX cant count on dragic having any value in future yrs because he is going to require a huge contract to stay in PHX.

If phx does the wise thing and trades him they end up with.

NO 1st
Capella
15-17 extra million in cap room, to sign a very good player. It could even be Dragic.

I also like houston going after dragic, they would become legit title contenders. I think a phx-hou trade would benefit both teams greatly.

[JohnsHopkins]

Len/Wright/Plumlee
Morris/Morris

Is not too shabby. Len has looked really good at points this season too.

If those guys are so good, why does Hornacek (one of the better HC's in the L right now) continually insist on playing small ball with all 3 of those guards on the floor? Why are they giving up ground in the playoff race? Why does their own front office think the team's ceiling is low?

Bottom line is, that front court just isn't good enough as currently constructed to be a legitimate contender. To give up one of your best players would be extremely foolish. Dragic gives you production at great value for his contract, even when he signs a new contract coming up. Or would you rather keep a 5-8 guard who shoots as much as Iverson?

Your looking at it wrong though.
Bledsoe makes 13mil/yr
Thomas makes 7mil/yr
Ennis makes 1.5/yr

On that alone your looking at 21-22mil.
We all know dragic is a good player and should make Bledsoe type money. Add another 13-15mil from dragic and your pushing the mid 30s of millions into PGs alone.

Also the suns Front Court is not great but they do have promising players Markieff/Len it just takes time to develop

I feel like its time to unleash Goodwin and Warren, those guys have serious potential. I think Suns trade/let dragic walk as well as let green walk. I also would not be surprised is they find a way to move IT2 during the summer, to create some space to go after a big man like Thad Young/TT/Milsap/Love..not sure of their cap situation, but I would assume they have or can create some space.

[thamadkant]

Houston is the obvious team. Just try to work it so that they don't give up their most high upside non stars (Terrence Jones and DMO) and every other non star plus pick should be on the table.

WTF

so basically offer turd for steak and expect it to be good enough.

Dellusional.

Rockets are the ones who should be overpaying, since trade NOW is the only way they can get Goran Dragic...

[thamadkant]

If PHX was offered NO 1st + capella + filler they should take it and run. PHX cant count on dragic having any value in future yrs because he is going to require a huge contract to stay in PHX.

If phx does the wise thing and trades him they end up with.

NO 1st
Capella
15-17 extra million in cap room, to sign a very good player. It could even be Dragic.

I also like houston going after dragic, they would become legit title contenders. I think a phx-hou trade would benefit both teams greatly.

NOH first, Capella
are the starting points..

One of D-Mo OR 2 future unprotected firsts could push it through.

[Prince12]

I'd never be comfortable with moving a first for a 3 month rental.

[Revived]

We aren't gonna trade him for just a 1st rd pick, this report is rubbish.

[Revived]

I'd never be comfortable with moving a first for a 3 month rental.

Because of the JJ Reddick thing?

[inquisitive]

any team wanting goran will have to give up more than just a 1st rd pick, but not so much due to his free agency.

[Prince12]

I'd never be comfortable with moving a first for a 3 month rental.

Because of the JJ Reddick thing?

Well that's a perfect example of why I wouldn't yeah. If PHX think they won't have enough to keep him they'd be smart to deal him now. Especially now the Thunder are practically level pegging.

[engelbert321]

If Dragic can fetch a 1st round pick, Monroe should too.

[AussieCeltic]

Indy seems like the perfect fit for him.

[jmomcc]

Houston is the obvious team. Just try to work it so that they don't give up their most high upside non stars (Terrence Jones and DMO) and every other non star plus pick should be on the table.

WTF

so basically offer turd for steak and expect it to be good enough.

Dellusional.

Rockets are the ones who should be overpaying, since trade NOW is the only way they can get Goran Dragic...

I was working under the assumption that Pheonix were actually shopping him for a first rounder. The name of the thread wasn't "What should Pheonix ask for Dragic?"

Houston need DMO right now because they don't have enough bigs. I really think they should not give up Jones because he has really high upside IMO. So in that scenario, I would pass and see what shakes out in the summer.

[nodeal]

If Dragic can fetch a 1st round pick, Monroe should too.

Dragic comes with bird rights. Which is pretty significant.

Teams with cap room are not going to want to trade for either dragic or monroe because they can just sign them next yr.
Teams without cap room are not going to want monroe with no bird rights, they will entertain dragic because theyll get his bird rights.

Monroe is a one year rental
Dragic is a 1 year rental with the potential to sign him using his bird rights.

[ardee]

Deal. Heat would have a complete starting lineup.

If everyone was healthy, Goran-Wade-Deng-Bosh-Whiteside would be nasty.

[thinktellectual]

If Phoenix wants draft picks, they just need to trade Dragic and they'll be in the draft lottery for sure.
Without him, I don't see that team going too far.