mercredi 18 février 2015

Posted by Unknown
No comments | 12:31

Dragic wants out, but the Suns are opening up their trade talks beyond his preferred list of destinations.


When Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic requested a trade out of the organization, he gave the team a list of preferred destinations that included New York, Miami and Los Angeles. However, the Suns have been pursuing deals with asset-rich teams outside of his preferred list, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.


The Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets have been aggressive in going after Dragic, per Wojnarowski, and the Suns have entertained those efforts. That's because Phoenix believes Dragic could be swayed to sign with a team outside his preferred list if the terms are right.


Dragic is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after declining a cheap player option and will likely pursue a max contract on the open market. However, if he wants a five-year deal, he's going to have to re-sign with whatever team he finishes the 2014-15 season with, and Phoenix believes he may be willing to go that route.


Where Dragic goes from here is uncertain, but it's pretty clear he's leaving Phoenix. After the team's practice Wednesday, which Dragic did participate in, the guard was brief but straightforward.




So while Dragic has indicated that he'd prefer going to marquee franchise like the Lakers, Knicks or Heat, it's clear the Suns aren't limiting themselves to just those teams in trade talks. With so many others showing interest, is it possible Dragic gets dealt to a outside his list?


Why it makes sense


If the Suns are resigned to the idea that Dragic is a goner, they're going to look for the best return possible. That could mean a team on Dragic's list, but more likely, it means one of the many teams that's not.


However, other teams will need to play this game, and it's hard to imagine anyone giving up substantial assets without an assurance that Dragic will re-sign. So the key variable is whether the Suns can find a team willing to offer the max that Dragic is interested in, and this report indicates he is indeed open.


That's good news for teams like Boston and Sacramento, which have assets and cap space to offer to the Suns and Dragic, respectively. There are still a lot of pieces to sort out, but if Dragic can be convinced to sign outside of his preferred list, it's hard to imagine a team like the Lakers or Knicks makes the best offer.


Why it doesn't make sense


Dragic still has a decent amount of leverage given that he can walk in the offseason for nothing, and the Suns will have trouble finding deals with teams he refuses to sign with. So while we have rumblings that Dragic would be interested in a five-year deal from a team outside his list, that's not a sure thing.


The Suns essentially need Dragic's approval for any deal given the leverage he holds over his future, and he may not want to go to a rebuilding team like Boston even if it's offering more money. He may simply want the max, even on a four-year deal, and figure he can get it without making those sorts of compromises.


A lot of things would need to happen, from Dragic and the rival team finding common ground on a deal to the actual pieces of the trade itself. With only about a day before the deadline, many of these wheels are already turning, but it'd be a major effort by all parties involved.


Likelihood: 5 out of 10


It seems likely that the Suns will trade Dragic by Thursday. The real question is whether he can be convinced to go to a team outside his preferred list, and that's uncertain right now. The Suns would surely prefer to trade him to a team loaded with assets, but they may not have that opportunity if he's stubborn in sticking to his list. However, it's also possible that he simply wants a five-year max wherever he can get it, and that makes teams like Sacramento and Boston very much possible.






from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/17UGptA

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