Good family connections and a fine performance in the Basketball World Cup has made Zoran Dragic quite the hot commodity among some NBA teams, with the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers trying to sign the Slovenian swingman.
Dragic, 25, plays either shooting guard or small forward and had an impressive tournament next to his brother, star of the Phoenix Suns Goran Dragic. He averaged 12.9 points per game while shooting 43.3% from beyond the arc, leading Slovenia to the quarterfinals where they lost to the USA. Dragic (Zoran) scored 11 points in the defeat. He also scored 16 points in an exhibition loss to the USA before the tournament began.
He is contracted to Unicaja Malaga in Spain, but has a way out of his deal. In order to release him from his contract in the summer of 2015, any team would have to pay just under $1 million. If it’s going to happen this season, the price will be double or maybe even more, which has salary cap repercussions.
The younger of the Dragic brothers has a similar drive and attack mode to his older brother, but his shot isn’t exactly consistent, shooting 35.4% from beyond the arc for Malaga last season in Euroleague action, the top basketball competition in European basketball.
It’s easy to see why he has become so interesting to teams around the league, with rumors suggesting more will try to sign him before the season begins. The Phoenix Suns obviously have the most to gain by signing him. Goran Dragic is intending to opt out of his deal when the season is over and quickly re-sign, but adding his brother to the mix would make things a little bit more certain for them.
The Indiana Pacers need any kind of help, especially in the backcourt since losing Lance Stephenson to free agency and not bringing in someone who is of the same quality, before we even mention their terrible bench. The Sacramento Kings? It’s hard to understand what’s the game plan over there, but Dragic, who’ll play as a shooting guard in the NBA, might not be able to contribute immediately for them.