The Los Angeles Lakers did not make any trades at the NBA trade deadline and now the Lakers rumors shift focus to who the team may be targeting in the buyout market. Perhaps the biggest name in the buyout market is Goran Dragic, and of course, the Lakers are in the running.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Dragic is expected to be bought out by the San Antonio Spurs after being traded from the Toronto Raptors and that the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are the favorites.
Dragic would be a welcome addition to the purple and gold. At this rate, Dennis Schroder makes a lot of sense for the Lakers and Dragic is a better point guard than Schroder. If Schroder makes sense then Dragic also makes sense for the same reasons.
However, these Goran Dragic Lakers rumors are unrealistic.
Perhaps I am wrong and I would love to be wrong as that means the Lakers will improve but it is hard to see Goran Dragic donning the purple and gold this season, even if the Lakers are named as one of the favorites to sign him.
First of all, the Lakers are the far worse option of the two teams that were mentioned as a favorite. The Golden State Warriors have a much higher ceiling than the Lakers this season and that is something that is going to have a huge impact on Dragic’s decision-making process.
Dragic just fits the Warriors’ offensive system as well. What sounds more appealing: coming off the bench in one of the best offenses in the league that really utilizes shooting and off-ball movement or coming off the bench to play for Russell Westbrook when he is getting in a fight with Frank Vogel?
The Warriors have already signed players that the Lakers should have signed themselves (looking at you, Otto Porter and Nemanja Bjelica) and Dragic could be yet another example.
However, the team that makes even more sense for Dragic is the Dallas Mavericks. While the Mavericks did add a point guard in Spencer Dinwiddie and already have a high usage rate star in Luka Doncic, Dragic has been tied to the Mavericks since before the season even began.
His Slovenian ties with Doncic and the desire to play together has been the driving force of this speculation. Even though the Mavericks are not mentioned as a leading favorite, it is hard to see any reason why Dragic would rather play in LA than play in Dallas.
This feels like smoke and mirrors that is either coming from Dragic’s agent to drum up interest or coming from the Lakers’ side of things to make another buyout guy (like Schroder) more desperate to sign with LA before they pick Dragic instead.
I would be legitimately shocked if these Goran Dragic Lakers rumors come to fruition.