Phoenix Suns point guard Goran Dragic will be a prime target this summer in free agency and if the Suns don't look at a trade at the deadline, teams like the Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings could be in the mix to sign him, as Dragic has said he plans on having an open free agency period in 2015.
Dragic should be the top free agent point guard on the market past Rajon Rondo, as Rondo is expected to stay in Dallas after getting traded from the Celtics. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Dragic plans on having an "open" free agency and he said recently that "every team" in the NBA is an option for him. Those quotes could signal that he is ready to work the Suns to get a good deal and is already putting himself in negotiating position, but he also will be a target for a number of teams and could leave.
Dragic has a player option coming up and it's almost a guarantee that he will opt out and hit the free agent market. The Suns appear ready to let him go, as they signed Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas last offseason and now Dragic will be getting a new deal. Dragic is leading the Suns in scoring and came in after winning the most improved player award last year. When the Suns signed Thomas last year, everyone thought it was insurance for Bledsoe if he decided to leave, but now it looks like it was for Dragic.
Marc Stein at ESPN.com wrote that the team actually covets Dragic the most and that they could look at trading Bledsoe or Thomas to ensure they keep him. Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen got the quotes from Dragic about his free agency and he said the Rockets could be an option despite the fact that the two sides could not agree on a deal when he was previously with the team. The Rockets allowed Dragic to leave in 2012 after the two sides couldn't come to an agreement with a fourth year opt out, but now Dragic could be their main target.
The Rockets looked into trading for Rondo and couldn't pull off that deal and they have long been interested in upgrading at point guard over Patrick Beverley and now Dragic could be the target. Rondo likely will stay in Dallas and even if he leaves, whoever misses out on him could go after Dragic instead. The Lakers are looking to make some major moves this summer and signing Dragic could be a target if players like Rondo and Marc Gasol stay with their current teams.
Kobe Bryant is out for the season and while he plans on coming back, the Lakers need to make some big changes if they hope to get good quickly. Signing Dragic and another top free agent could help and if Gasol remains in Memphis, expect Los Angeles to go after Greg Monroe. The Pistons likely will not trade Monroe this year, but the Lakers have shown interest in him already and have made calls about trades. The Lakers are 12-33 this season and looking at another lottery pick, but they need to be in the top five to keep that pick after the deal with the Suns.
