The Mavs appear to be closer to the reunion of Luka Dončić and Goran Dragić after a reported exchange, probably a buyout
The Mavericks seem a step closer to signing Goran Dragic.
Several outlets on Thursday afternoon – about three hours before the NBA league deadline at 2pm CT – reported that the Toronto Raptors had replaced veteran Spitz Dragic at the San Antonio Spurs.
ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski reported The Spurs will receive Dragic and the protected selection of the first round of 2022 in exchange for Thad Young, Drew Eubanks and the selection of the second round of 2022 for the Raptors.
San Antonio is expected to buy the rest of Dragic’s $ 19.4 million salary this season, in the last year of his contract.
Thus, Dragić would become an unlimited free agent, and the Mavericks – and superstar Luka Dončić – would be an ideal landing.
The 35-year-old Dragic has played just five games this season, the first with Toronto after Miami included him in an off-season exchange for Kyla Lowry.
Shortly after his last appearance – when he scored 16 points in 28 minutes on 13 November – Dragic and the Raptors agreed to separate after the veteran dropped out of the rotation and has been training in Miami ever since.
With the Mavericks, Dragić would add the depth of veteran handling of the ball to Dončić and Jalen Brunson, if the latter still remained Maverick after the deadline on Thursday. Dragic has played in 60 post-season games and was the focal point for the Heat to qualify for the NBA 2020 finals.
His close relationship with Dončić has long been the main reason why the Mavericks, Dragić, Dončić, fans and the whole of Slovenia were looking forward to a potential couple.
Dončić and Dragić – the two best products of Slovenia’s small but growing NBA-linked staff – were roommates during the Slovenian national team’s historic run to win the 2017 EuroBasket Championship.
Dragić played with Dončić’s father Saša in the KD Slovan basketball team from 2004 to 2006 and has known the 22-year-old All-Star Mavericks since Dončić was about 5 years old.
With a Slovenian TV interview This summer, when Doncic led the country’s first Olympic men’s basketball, Dragic said he would “definitely” want to play with Doncic in the 2021-22 season if given the chance.
“I really enjoyed playing with Luka at the European Championships,” Dragic said. “We know what kind of player he is, one of the best in the world. I would love to play with him again.”
To add Dragic after the buyout and reporting on competition likely to come from the Bucks, Clippers and Bulls, among others, the Mavericks would have to give up one of the players on their current 15-player roster.
The three-year-old Moses Brown center – with no contract guaranteed after this season – has played the least since the COVID-19 outbreak in the team subsided from mid-December to mid-January.
Frank Ntilikina, who was wanted by the Mavericks mainly for the defense of the hinterland, lagged behind Trey Burke in the rotation, and his salary for next season is guaranteed only in July.
Burke, meanwhile, plays in the same position as Dragic and has a $ 3.3 million player option for the final year of his 2022-23 contract.
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More Mavericks reports from The Dallas Morning News can be found here.