Number One: Goran Dragic
Goran Dragic is the best available backup point guard option for the Lakers in free agency. Lou Williams gets a lot of headlines for his play as the Clippers Sixth Man of the Year, but Goran Dragic was the more valuable bench player last season.
Goran Dragic is 34-years-old. Still, he was a valuable contributor for the surprising Miami Heat. Dragic averaged 16 PPG, 5 APG, and 3 RPG while connecting on 38 percent of his shots from beyond the arc for the 41-24 Heat.
Goran Dragic will command much more money than the Lakers will be able to offer him during the offseason, but there’s reason to believe he’ll consider a change from South Beach to Santa Monica.
Goran Dragic has been in the league for 12 seasons, but he’s only made the playoffs three times (once with the Phoenix Suns and twice with the Miami Heat). He’s never come close to making it to the finals, let alone winning a title. Plus, he’s made nearly $100 million throughout his career.
Dragic is a perfect ring chasing candidate. His career has been eerily similar to one of the last great ring chasers, David West. West was also an elite player who wasn’t quite good enough to become a star. The Former Pacer never came close to winning a title, and he too made nearly $100 million during his time in the NBA. Finally, at the end of David West’s career, he went to the Golden State Warriors. He spent his final two seasons playing on minimum contracts, and he helped Stephen Curry and company win two chips.
Goran Dragic would be a considerable upgrade for the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s only got a couple of good seasons left in him, but he’s the real deal, a player capable of running the Lakers offense for at least 20 minutes per game while LeBron rests on the bench.
If Goran Dragic is interested in tasting a title at least once before he retires, the Lakers are his best choice. No other organization can offer him the chance to play meaningful minutes for a genuine title contender.