Now that the NBA trade deadline is in the rear-view mirror, the primary way for teams to add talent is to the buyout market. While we’ll have to wait and see exactly which players are going to become available through that medium, one name that is presumed to hit the market soon is Goran Dragic.
After spending the start of this season with the Toronto Raptors, Dragic was traded to the San Antonio Spurs at the deadline. Immediately, word began spreading that he was headed for a buyout, and according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, that should get all sorted out within the next week.
This raises the question of which team will win the race to bring the veteran guard on board. Every team could use the backcourt reinforcements that Dragic offers, and Wojnarowski reports that both the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are in the mix to sign him. They are not, of course, the only teams eager to acquire him.
The Lakers and Warriors are planning to join several rivals, including the LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets, in aggressive pursuit of Dragic, sources said.
After being acquired by the Raptors in the sign-and-trade that sent Kyle Lowry to Miami, Dragic appeared in five games before leaving the team to tend to a personal matter. In exchange for Dragic and a future second-round pick, Toronto acquired Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks (who has since been waived), and a first-round pick.