NBA Rumors: Lakers, Nets and Warriors amongst teams interested in former Most Improved Player winner in the buyout market
Amongst the trades that were finalized during the past NBA trade deadline, Goran Dragic was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the San Antonio Spurs.
The point guard was traded alongside a 2022 first-round pick in exchange for Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks and a 2022 second-round draft pick.
Dragic had decided to leave the Raptors earlier in the season, with personal reasons being the motivation for the decision. He had only featured in 5 games for the Raptors, making the starting lineup twice.
During that stretch, he only played 18 minutes per game, averaging 8.0 points and 1.8 assists per contest on efficiency below his usual standards.
According to ESPN's NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, there is a long list of franchises who are aggressively looking to buyout the 35-year-old Slovenian.
The list includes the Golden State Warriors, LA Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls.
The Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Bulls, Nets and Warriors are all expected to be in “aggressive pursuit” of Goran Dragic following an expected buyout with the Spurs, per @wojespn https://t.co/C1Atn5MHs1
'The Dragon', as he is fondly called, will be finalizing a buyout agreement with the Spurs in a few days. When the said agreement is concluded, Dragic becomes a free agent and can move to any of the interested parties.
Goran Dragic's career in the NBA through a lens
The Slovenian made his way into the NBA as a second-round pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the 45th overall pick.
Goran Dragic's rights were traded to the Phoenix Suns, and he made his debut on Oct. 29, 2008, coming off the bench.
Having spent 14 seasons in the NBA, Dragic has featured for 4 different franchises in his illustrious career but is yet to clinch a championship ring.
He spent his first 3 seasons with the Phoenix Suns before moving on to the Houston Rockets for 2 seasons.
He made his way back to the Suns for the 2012-13 season and went on to spend another 3 seasons with the franchise. During his return season to the Suns, he became a regular starter, starting every game he featured in.
In the 2013-14 season, he finished the year averaging 20.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He was awarded the Most Improved Player of the Year for his amazing performance and growth.
He also shot 50.5% from the field, netting 7.3 shots of 14.4 attempts per game and 40.8% from beyond the arc.
The Toronto Raptors are trading Goran Dragic to the San Antonio Spurs for Thad Young, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
He has spent the most of his career in the NBA with the Miami Heat, suiting up for the franchise for 7 seasons. With the Heat, he attained his first All-Star selection in the 2018 All-Star Game.
He also played in his first NBA Finals game in 2020, but was deprived of the title by the LeBron James-led LA Lakers.
The Heat had a poor run in the 2021 playoffs, exiting the first round with a clean sweep handed to them by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Goran Dragic was then traded to the Toronto Raptors for the 2021-22 season. He made only five appearances for the Raptors and left the franchise due to personal reasons.