The Phoenix Suns reportedly are now willing to trade point guard Goran Dragic, for a first-round draft pick. The two teams expected to emerge as the frontrunners are the Houston Rockets, and according ESPN's Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Phoenix purportedly wanted to keep Dragic, who said he'd test free agency after the season, and re-sign him in the summer. The Suns' plan has changed, though, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
"Hearing Suns want a first-rounder for Goran Dragic and, rest assured, they'll get it. Rockets got to be tempted," Woelfel tweeted Wednesday night.
Houston needs an upgrade at the 1-spot, and their name has been linked to Dragic throughout the season. Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy confirmed on Wednesday the Rockets still want him, and Stein reported Friday they - along with the Lakers - were expected to pursue him before the Feb. 19 deadline passes.
Per Stein:
"The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are among many teams expected to try to persuade the Phoenix Suns to part with star guard Goran Dragic before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, according to league sources," Stein wrote Friday. "Sources said that the Rockets, who let Dragic go in free agency in the summer of 2012 but have him high on their list of free-agent targets this summer, are prominent among the teams hoping to engage the Suns in serious discussions about Dragic before the league's annual trade buzzer next week.
"The Lakers, meanwhile, also have coveted Dragic for some time and likewise are said to be intent on testing the Suns' resolve when it comes to their Slovenian point guard. Sources say L.A. plans to chase Dragic this summer anyway with an aggressive four-year offer that would be valued as high as an estimated $80 million if it approaches max-contract territory."
Houston's only first-round pick this year is from the New Orleans Pelicans, and they have a few assets - such as the rookie-scale contract of Terrence Jones, who became expendable when Josh Smith signed, and the expiring contract of veteran Jason Terry - that could sweeten the pot for Phoenix.
The Lakers, though, have almost nothing to work with. Phoenix already owns Los Angeles' 2015 first-round pick if it falls outside of the top five, and the Lakers' don't have any players whom Phoenix would consider attractive long-term options.
