According to one report, a trade involving Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic might not happen after all. Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler reported Phoenix is willing to pay Dragic this summer and will take him off the trade block if he commits to re-signing in July as a free agent.
When Phoenix signed point guard Eric Bledsoe to a five-year deal this offseason, Dragic's future with the team became uncertain. Would Phoenix give Dragic a big payday given their surplus of guards on the roster? According to Kyler, they would if Dragic commits to re-signing with them in the offseason.
"Word is they'll play him, so I think he has to commit to staying for his name to come off the board," Kyler wrote Monday. "There is also a sense that making the playoffs really matters to the Suns organizationally, so fire selling Dragic may not be a consideration as long as they have a hold of the eighth seed."
Dragic has the option to become a free agent after the season, and the early indications are he plans to test the market in July for two reasons. One, because he reportedly dislikes Phoenix playing three point guards on the court at the same time, and two, because Phoenix may try to lowball him on a new contract in the offseason.
As Kyler mentioned, Phoenix doesn't want to move Dragic for a cheap price. The fact he has a player option, which he said last summer he plans to exercise, means most teams won't offer the Phoenix anything worthwhile in terms of assets since Dragic could likely be had as a free agent in July.
If Dragic does become a free agent, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be his biggest suitors.
