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Goran Dragic Stepping Away From Raptors to Deal With a Personal Matter
The Toronto Raptors will be without Goran Dragic for the next little while.
The 35-year-old guard is stepping away from the team to take 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," Webster wrote. "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.”
Dragic has played in just five of Toronto's first 20 games and has played just once since the fourth game of the season.
"First of all, he's a really good dude extremely professional, very very wise, you know, with all his experiences internationally and all his years in the NBA. He was [an] enjoyable guy to be around and coach and all that kind of stuff," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
Dragic has reportedly returned to Slovenia, his home country, and will likely remain there until the trade deadline or a buyout is negotiated with Toronto, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.
Further Reading
Fred VanVleet shows his value to a young Raptors team in loss to Pacers
Yuta Watanabe shows why he'll have a spot in the Raptors' rotation
Plenty of questions still to be answered as Raptors reach 1/4 mark of the season
