Goran Dragic hasn't played for the Toronto Raptors since November 13, but as the trade deadline approaches, it's becoming more apparent that the Slovenian has played his last game for the franchise as the Toronto Star's Doug Smith suggests he is drawing "great interest" on the trade market.
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The Raptors are finding great interest in a myriad of differently structured deals for Goran Dragić, multiple NBA sources say. He is almost certain to be dealt near the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline.
— Toronto Star (@TorontoStar) January 30, 2022
Story by @SmithRaps https://t.co/9FtAUOEzeT
The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 10 and multiple teams have reportedly expressed interest in adding Dragic to aid point guard depth and bench scoring as his $19.4 million contract is expiring at the end of the season.
Toronto acquired Dragic in the sign-and-trade that sent Kyle Lowry to Miami during the summer but he was never seen as a long-term piece for the Raptors.
Dragic was also not happy with being traded, stating, “Toronto is not my preferred destination. I have higher ambitions. We’ll see,” in a loose Slovenian translation before the season started.
A separate trade never came to fruition, however, and Dragic ended up playing four games for Toronto before being benched early on in the year. A month later, he was designated as away from the team for "personal reasons."
He drew the ire of Toronto fans when he was spotted at a Heat game just one day before the Raptors were due to play in Miami.
Goran Dragic was spotted at the Miami Heat game tonight.
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 29, 2022
📸: @eric_torrente pic.twitter.com/tFV32m66pA
Dallas has been mentioned as a potential trade partner for Dragic, with The Athletic's John Hollinger speculating on what kind of return the Raptors might expect.
"Consider, for instance, trading Dragić to Dallas for Trey Burke, Dwight Powell and a protected 2027 first-round pick," Hollinger wrote. "That gives the Raps a legit big man under contract for next year and gives Dallas enough financial runway to re-sign Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith this coming summer.
"Maybe I’m being too optimistic on the draft return, and it’s more like two seconds, but my point is there is a way to get draft picks from Dragić’s expiring contract if they can hold their nose next season on a not-great contract."
The Raptors are enjoying a surprisingly successful season, sitting one game above .500, but the team's current roster construction is focused on the long-term.
With a core group of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. all being 27 years old or younger, Toronto has its core of the future and added draft assets for Dragic's expiring contract would be a welcome sight for the franchise.
Dragic struggled to produce much for the Raptors in short stints, but he is only two years removed from helping the Heat on a run to the NBA Finals in 2020.
Stay tuned for updates following the veteran guard's availability as the trade deadline approaches in two weeks.
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