Goran Dragic hasn't had the impact that was expected when he first joined the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors acquired Dragic from the Miami Heat in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade in the offseason. His time with the Raptors got off to a rocky start, and he's played in only five games (two starts) to this point of the season.
In those games, Dragic averaged 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18.0 minutes, all of which are among the lowest marks of his career.
Dragic's numbers were down slightly in his final season with the Heat, but he was still one of the more productive bench players in the league, averaging 13.4 points, 4.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game. And the season prior, he played a leading role in Miami's surprising run to the NBA Finals.
What led to Dragic's removal from Toronto's rotation and what is his future with the Raptors? Let's take a closer look.
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Why is Goran Dragic no longer in the Raptors' rotation?
Dragic was in Toronto's starting lineup on opening night. In a 98-83 loss to the Washington Wizards, he finished with nine points (3-7 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-2 FT), four assists and three rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
Dragic came off the bench for the next three games while posting averages of 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists on 26.7 percent shooting from the field and 14.3 percent from 3-point range in 13.3 minutes per contest. He was then removed from the rotation.
Following Toronto's matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 27 — the first of nine straight games Dragic didn't appear in — Raptors head coach Nick Nurse explained his decision to play rookie Dalano Banton over Dragic off the bench.
Nurse on Banton: “He’s really played well. I think the biggest thing is he injects an easy basket or two into the game pretty quickly… He’s really solid defensively too. He’s versatile.”
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) October 28, 2021
The following day, Nurse said he told Dragic to "stay ready" and "we'll see where it goes from there."
Nurse on Dragic: “He’s a very approachable guy, very professional guy. I talk to him everyday and I pretty much just tell him to stay ready… We’ll see where it goes from there.”
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) October 30, 2021
Dragic has played in only one game since, filling in for the injured Fred VanVleet in a matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 13. Dragic posted 16 points (6-12 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 28 minutes of play.
“It was just to try to get some semblance of the offence running with something similar to what they’re used to was probably the reason,” Nurse said of his decision to start Dragic. “(He) sure played good tonight for not playing for a long time … he was tough and he was good at both ends for the most part and made a lot of plays.”
VanVleet returned to the lineup the next game and Dragic was back out of the rotation.
A couple of weeks later, on Nov. 28, the Raptors announced that Dragic was no longer with the team for personal reasons.
“Goran is taking some time away from the team, with our full support, to manage a personal matter," Raptors general manager Bobby Webster wrote in a press release. "He has been a complete professional in the time that he has been with the Raptors – Goran has been a great mentor to our younger players and a valued teammate for our veterans.
"He will continue to work out and stay in shape during his time away. There is no definite timeline for this process, and we will advise updates as appropriate. Goran has the backing of Masai, Nick and the entire organization, and we wish him nothing but the best.”
What is Goran Dragic's contract?
Dragic is being paid $19.4 million this season. He's in the final year of his current contract, so he'll be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
What is Goran Dragic's future with the Raptors?
In a conversation with HoopsHype's Michael Scotto posted on Dec. 15, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer said that the last he had heard, there's "no trade chatter" for Dragic.
"I think that’s the clear goal that the Raptors have, but ultimately, it’s similar to the Andre Drummond situation in Cleveland last year because his salary number is really high," Fischer said.
Scotto added that he sees the situation ending in a buyout so that Dragic can "try and join a playoff or championship contender."
Before the season, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Raptors had shown "zero inclination" to buy out Dragic. With how everything has played out, it'll be interesting to see how the Raptors handle Dragic's situation as we get closer to the trade deadline.
One team in particular that has been linked to Dragic throughout this process has been the Dallas Mavericks, who are led by two-time All-Star Luka Doncic. Dragic and Doncic have a history. Not only are they both from Slovenia, but they helped lead the country to its first European basketball championship as teammates at EuroBasket 2017.
Doncic was asked about the possibility of the Mavericks adding Dragic before the season, but he declined to answer.
Doncic on potential of Dragic playing for Dallas: "I don't think we can say. We don't want to get fined by the NBA."
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) August 10, 2021
In a mailbag at the end of November, NBA insider Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel said that the "sense is" Dragic will eventually work his way to the Mavericks, which is his "preferred" option.
"The sense is Goran works his way toward his preferred (and most viable) option of the (Dallas) Mavericks, to close out the season alongside Slovenian compatriot Luka Doncic. But also understand, this is not the equivalent of John Wall insisting he plays as a starter in Houston. Goran already has proven amenable to a bench role, something he thrived in with the Heat."
The Mavericks would be able to sign Dragic if the Raptors decided to waive him. Otherwise, their only means of acquiring him this season would be in a trade. As Fischer mentioned, matching Dragic's salary wouldn't necessarily be easy for a team like the Mavericks.
On Aug. 2, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reported that Dragic would "obviously" have interest in teaming up with Doncic in Dallas if he was bought out.
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