Goran Dragic is a season away from finding out just how much he is worth in the NBA. The point guard is currently on a Phoenix Suns team with the deepest backcourt in the league and an expiring contract to his name. The chances he tests the market are high as attention surrounding him will be big. The chances that he remains with the Phoenix Suns past the 2014-15 season are not as great.
Dragic is entering the third year of a four-year, $34 million deal. The fourth year is a player option that Dragic can opt out of and become an unrestricted free agent in 2015. The Suns have a lot of players signed to big money at the moment. Point guard Eric Bledsoe just signed a five-year, $70 million deal. Point guard Isaiah Thomas inked a four-year, $28 million deal. Not to mention the Suns also drafted point guard Tyler Ennis. Dragic could easily earn a contract upwards of $12 million a season, similar to what Kyle Lowry earns with the Toronto Raptors. Dragic continues to stress his desire to remain with the Suns, but if the money is not there, does he walk?
"I'm happy for Eric, he signed a big contract, and hopefully next year we're going to stay together," Dragic said, via ArizonaSports.com. "I always go year by year. We've still got 82 games, I hope for more with playoffs, and I need to play well. That's my biggest goal, try to help my teammates and try to help my team to get that one stage higher than last year. I'm not thinking about next season yet. We're going to see what's going to happen after next season, of course I'm going to see my options, and after that I can say a little bit more."
According to Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com, Dragic is likely going to walk away from Phoenix simply because they might not be able to afford an extension. The team has a tone of point guards and while Kyler does not believe that will force a trade of Dragic, he does believe it hurts his chances of getting a contract extension of his liking.
Dragic emerged as the best player for the Suns last season, averaging 20.3 points and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the floor. There will be a lot of interest in point guards next summer. With teams like Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets all looking for upgrades, Dragic is in for a pay raise.
