This is exactly what Goran Dragic’s camp wanted.
He wants to go to a big market — the Lakers, the Knicks, the Heat (Miami is actually a middle market but isn’t perceived that way). The Suns want as much back for trading their best player as they can get so they were in talks with teams that had assets to move — the Celtics, the Rockets, the Kings. Suns owner Robert Saver is angry and does not want to cave to Dragic’s demands. To counter that, Dragic’s camp made it known that he doesn’t care about the fifth year of new contract, which would be worth more than $25 million on a max deal and could be offered by the team that has his rights after the deadline today.
It worked, at least in Sacramento, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.As the Sacramento Kings continue to be warned that Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic would have no interest in signing an extension with them, the team has become increasingly reluctant to pursue a trade, league sources told Yahoo Sports...
The Kings would’ve been willing to offer a package that included 2014 first-round pick Nik Stauskus and a future first-round pick, but discussions are dissipating with the trade deadline approaching on Thursday afternoon, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Houston has not been scared off by the report; they have convinced other players who were not sure about Houston to stay.
Phoenix’s asking price for Dragic is steep — they want a good young player and at least one first-round pick (maybe two if it’s not likely to be lottery). The best offer they have may come from Miami, which is offering two first rounders according to Chris Broussard of ESPN. All of this makes for the possibility the Suns do not make a trade and call Dragic’s bluff. Will he leave that money on the table?
All of this makes for the possibility the Suns do not make a trade and call Dragic’s bluff. But he says he doesn’t trust Suns management and would just walk this summer. The bottom line is this phase of the Dragic story ends at 3 ET, but we could have a second round come July.