Lakers Rumors: Goran Dragic or Isaiah Thomas?
By Scott Asai
The Lakers are in desperate need of a point guard and Phoenix Suns may be our suitors.
In a strange move this past offseason, the Phoenix Suns signed Isaiah Thomas to a 4 year/$27 Million contract to add to Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe in an already crowded backcourt. This experiment hasn’t worked in Phoenix and there’s pressure to trade one point guard before the deadline or risk losing one for nothing this summer.
The Lakers would gladly take either one off Phoenix’s hands, but let’s look at the pros and cons of both:
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Goran Dragic is a scoring point guard with a European flair to his game. Like a smaller version of Manu Ginobili, his moves are unorthodox and difficult to defend. His feisty attitude comes out on defense and his competitiveness drives him to compete with the best. He could be a great fit with Kobe Bryant in the backcourt, but with rumors of the Lakers willing to offer him 4 year/$80 Million as a free agent is just too much.
Isaiah Thomas is also a scoring point guard with a shoot-first mentality. His size has always been an issue with critics, yet he continues to perform at a high level. What he lacks in size, he makes up in tenacity. His 4 year/$27 Million contract is much “friendlier” and at that price he could be a steal in a trade.
The Lakers have coveted Dragic for a while now and Thomas was convinced he was going to be a Laker this past offseason. There’s interest in both, yet the Suns have the ball in their court. Although the Lakers would rather pursue Dragic in the summer, there’s no guarantee even with cap space they can acquire him. Thomas, on the other hand, can only be attained via trade so if the Suns field calls this week the Lakers can offer something in return.
Reggie Jackson and Rajon Rondo will also be available this summer, so the Lakers have to make a decision who their future point guard will be and hope to land one in free agency. Between Dragic and Thomas, the smart decision is to go for the one at the best price. In a point guard dominated league, it’s still the big men that rule. The Lakers need a floor general to control the pace of the game and any of the following point guards mentioned above can do the job better than what we currently have.
Who do you want as the Lakers point guard of the future?