Will The Toronto Raptors Trade Goran Dragic?
Why Goran Dragic Will Get Traded To The Dallas Mavericks
The Goran Dragic acquisition surprised a lot of Raptors fans. Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster both mentioned in recent interviews that the plan for the future was to “get younger” and develop their core. Keeping a player like Dragic (35 years old) is very inconsistent with this message. The acquisition of Svi Mykhailiuk probably signifies their intention to trade Dragic to the Mavericks after October 1st.
Trading Goran Dragic Makes Sense For the Toronto Raptors
Goran Dragic is an excellent basketball player. That being said, his best years are probably behind him. To make the most of a player at this stage in his career, you will need to give him steady minutes, meaning you will take minutes away from the young assets that you intend to develop (Johnson/Banton/Barnes, etc).
He is on an expiring contract so he can leave at the end of the year and it will leave the Raptors with no return on a valuable asset. Add to that a recent interview that he did in Slovenia where he said that “Toronto was not his preferred destination” and that he had “higher ambitions”, and you have anything but a match made in heaven.
A Dragic Trade To The Dallas Mavericks Expected
Rumors have been swirling that the wheels are in motion to trade Goran to the Dallas Mavericks where Luka Doncic will unite with his “mentor” (both Dragic and Doncic are from Slovenia). When asked about this shortly after signing a $207 million dollar super-max contract Doncic said “I don’t think we can say, we don’t want to get fined by the NBA”. The saying “where there is smoke there is usually fire” comes to mind.
Dallas can put a tantalizing package of Moses Brown, Dwight Powell, and a 2nd round pick or two together to trade for the aging point guard.
Powell is coming off of an Achilles injury and is on an undesirable contract ($11 million a year with 2 years remaining). But Moses Brown is a very intriguing Center who stands 7'2, weighs 245lbs, and averages 14.4 points a game to go along with 15 rebounds a game per 36 minutes. Not to mention, he is only 21! He could be the answer to the Raptors big man rotation for years to come.
Dragic Does Not Fit The Raptors Roster & Should Be Traded
However, what I see as the biggest issue with keeping Dragic is that he is not a good fit for the Raptors roster. Age aside, excluding Dragic, the way they constructed the roster, we currently have 10 players that are almost sure to be in the rotation somehow:
- OG Anunoby (Resigned to a long extension last year)
- Khem Birch (Resigned this offseason)
- Chris Boucher (Most improved player of the year candidate last year)
- Malachi Flynn (promising young PG on a rookie contract)
- Gary Trent Jr. (Just resigned to a 3-year deal worth $51 million)
- Pascal Siakam (Signed to a max contract)
- Fred VanVleet (Signed to a big contract last offseason)
- Precious Achiuwa (Recently acquired promising young big man)
- Scottie Barnes (Picked 4th Overall in this year's draft)
- Svi Mykhailiuk (signed a 2 year guaranteed contract this offseason)
That doesn’t even include a player like Yuta Watanabe who Nick Nurse favors and will probably get some playtime.
Looking at it positionally Goran’s natural position is the point guard, and we have 5 other players that can play that position (Vanvleet, Flynn, Barnes, Banton, and Johnson). It appeared as though Dragic would play the shooting guard position; the Raptors were weak at that spot and needed a 3pt shooting threat off the bench. But even the chances of that became slim after the Raptors announced their latest free-agent signing.
Signing Svi Mykhailiuk may be the writing on the wall that signifies Dragic’s departure. Svi’s contract is guaranteed, and it is highly likely that he not only makes the team but plays meaningful minutes. Mykhailiuk fits the Raptors timeline much better because he is only 24 and can grow as a player with the rest of the team. He would play at the backup shooting guard position, which is where Dragic would also have slotted in. He’s a capable shooter from long range, averaging 36% 3pt shooting for his career, and has better size than Dragic standing at 6'7 205lbs.
This leaves Dragic as the odd man out. He does not fit the same timeline as the rest of the team, does not figure to be getting minutes the way they set the roster and is the most valuable asset that Masai Ujiri would consider parting with.
No one but Masai truly knows what the plan is, however, all signs point to a Dragic to Dallas trade. Now, don’t expect the trade to happen soon though. Since Dallas recently traded for Brown from the Oklahoma City Thunder, they cannot trade him again until the trade moratorium ends on October 1st. If Dragic is still on the Toronto Raptors long after that, It would be surprising.
