NBA News: Goran Dragic Plans to Stay Longer With Phoenix Suns
Slash Brothers Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe are on opposite sides of the spectrum right now. Bledsoe is a hanging by a thin thread with his relationship with the Phoenix Suns while Dragic is keen on staying with the organization for good.
The Slovenian declared that he plans to opt out of his contract for the next season and re-up with the Suns for a longer and bigger deal. While he spoke to a Spanish reporter in the ongoing FIBA World Cup of Basketball, Dragic bared his plans for next summer.
"Got a very interesting position with the club. Guess I'll break the contract and sign a new one," he said. "As I spoke [to the Suns], I immediately during the first week, when the market opens, sign and I will therefore be calm."
This is ecstatic news for the club that struck out on free agency not landing the coveted names such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony or failing to entice the Minnesota Timberwolves to send them Kevin Love. They are also embroiled in a possible fall-out with Bledsoe who is unhappy with their offer annual salary extension of $12 million annually. And with the departure of veteran presence and stretch forward Channing Frye to the Orlando Magic, the prospect of retaining their floor general smells like rose.
Dragic's love for Phoenix has evidence to back it up. The team that drafted, him traded him in 2011 to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Aaron Brooks in 2012 only to be courted back again to return in 2012 for slightly less money than what other teams were prepared to give. The 2014 Most Improved Player Award seems like a trustworthy guy to bank on returning to the Suns franchise.
However, many teams have already expressed their interest to entice the talented court general to jump ship. Among those are the Indiana Pacers who already dangled up their all-star big man Roy Hibbert in exchange for the one man fastbreaking guard. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets have also expressed interest to put him in their rosters. This will leave the Suns to consider paying him an annual salary expected to be in the range of the $13 to $15 million range.
The Suns are also pulling all the stops to keep him happy as they are also reportedly courting Goran's brother, Zoran to join the franchise. The Suns and Zoran Dragic will have to be creative to finalize the buyout of Zoran with his Spanish mother club, Unicaja Malaga. Now that is an wondrous image, the Morris Brothers making wonderful music with the Dragic siblings.