Goran Dragic Update: Mavs Still Have Chance at Luka Doncic Help
DALLAS - Mark Cuban's offseason declaration regarding his team needing an additional playmaker? The Dallas Mavericks fell short of their goal.
Interestingly, the Mavericks had a shot at acquiring such a player in 2019 free agency via trade. Now with the Toronto Raptors, Goran Dragic is once again mentioned as a likely candidate to join Dallas.
His ball-handling skills. The leadership of a 13-year NBA veteran. His experience with the Slovenian national team. His off- and on-court mentorship of Mavs superstar Luka Doncic.
It all fits. Still.
Although Doncic fares just fine without such a veteran on the roster, having Dragic might calm the storms caused by moments of passion from the two-time All-NBA star. And it might make the roster better, too.
However, due to Dragic's $19.4 contract, and shrewd Toronto president Masai Ujiri's controlling of the war room, Dallas acquiring the reluctant Raptor in a bargain deal appears doubtful. And Dragic sacrificing his last meaningful payday in a buyout seems like a far-fetched conclusion.
While Dallas has a few young pieces to present in exchange for Doncic's Slovenian teammate, looking at the Mavericks' lack of assets leads to the question: How long will Toronto hold out for the likes of Josh Green?
Marc Stein, the columnist for Substack, addressed a question regarding Dragic's maybe-inevitable future with the Dallas basketball franchise.
"I do think Dragic, one way or another, ends up in Dallas,'' Stein writes. "It's simply going to take longer than a lot of people rooting for this want to wait.''
Playing chicken with Ujiri may not seem like a winning move, but in light of the Mavericks' 4-2 record, maybe patience is OK. But Stein, just maybe, is referring to Luka himself when touching on the idea of impatience.
And Stein's characterization fits most of the rest of us as well.
