All Over The Hill
Fansided

Wizards Should Stay Away From Goran Dragic

By Jesse Jones

facebooktwitterreddit

Over the last several days, it’s become crystal clear that Goran Dragic and the Phoenix Suns are no longer a match made in heaven. Dragic wants out of Phoenix because of the surplus of point guards on the roster, and if he isn’t traded by tomorrow’s deadline, he has already said he will go through the free agency process to find a new team in the offseason.

The Suns have come out and said that they’ll try their best to trade Dragic before the deadline, but with the CBA rules regarding salary cap equality and staying under the luxury tax, that may be hard to do.

More from All Over The Hill

There are a number of teams that have been linked to Dragic including the Washington Wizards, who have recently said that they are in fact willing to trade a first-round pick.

All that Ernie Grunfeld, Ted Leonsis and the Wizards would have to do would be to then add a player like Garrett Temple, Andre Miller or DeJuan Blair to the mix for a straight up trade (NOTE: not implying that Washington has said they would trade those players, just hypothetically).

It sounds like a no-brainer, but when you dig deeper into what Goran Dragic wants, it becomes apparent that the Wizards should stay away from trading away any first round picks for Dragic.

According to his agent, Dragic is tired of sharing the point guard duties in Phoenix with Isaiah Thomas and Eric Bledsoe, hence why he wants out. Well, he certainly wouldn’t start in Washington with John Wall running the show, and he’d hardly take any time away from Bradley Beal.

Mar 26, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Phoenix Suns shooting guard Goran Dragic (1) passes the ball as Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) defends during the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

His agent has also come out on the record and said that if his client isn’t traded by Thursday, he’ll look to sign with teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks or the Miami Heat once free agency begins this offseason.

So, if Washington was to make a deal with Phoenix for Dragic tonight or tomorrow, they’d be sending away a draft pick with no guarantee that they’ll get back something in return for the long haul. It worked last time they made a deal with Phoenix for Gortat, but he had an entire season to see what Washington was about.

Dragic would only be playing in The District for roughly three months, and with his mind already set on certain teams, trying to convince him to stay in Washington as a backup will be tough sledding. In New York, Los Angeles and Miami, Dragic would start immediately. He’d be the best point guard that any team has had in quite some time without even playing a regular season game for that team.

It just does not make sense for the Wizards to send a first-round pick and a player for someone who will likely only be playing a reserve role for three months.

But there are other players who Washington could make a reasonable run for, including Ramon Sessions and Norris Cole. But Miami’s asking price for Cole has been high and he’s been far from stellar this season.

And earlier this evening, we learned that the Wizards have interest in free agent guard Bobby Brown, who just finished his season overseas in China.

Will Bynum has also been linked to the Wizards over the last few weeks.

While a deal for Goran Dragic seems like a smart move at first glace, a trade for him just wouldn’t make sense. Washington can try to pursue him in free agency when there isn’t draft picks on the line, but for the next several hours, the Wizards should look elsewhere to fill their void.

Next: Redskins Can Explore Multiple Options with No. 5 Pick

Home/Washington Wizards