All-Star guard Goran Dragic has landed with a new squad after reaching a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Dragic has inked a deal with the Brooklyn Nets for the remainder of the season.
Remember, the 35-year-old veteran was acquired from the Toronto Raptors ahead of the NBA trade deadline. He did not suit up in a game for the Spurs after said deal and played only five games with Toronto following an off-season sign-and-trade that brought Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat.
The biggest name currently on the NBA buyout market, Dragic will provide more depth for a struggling Nets squad that has dealt with a slew of absences due to COVID-19 and injuries.
This move also comes less than two weeks after Brooklyn acquired Ben Simmons in a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for James Harden. Below, we look at three takeaways from Goran Dragic signing with Brooklyn.
Related: Top players who could be available on NBA buyout market
Los Angeles Lakers not seen as contenders
Los Angeles was among the teams most bandied about when it came to signing Dragic. The team needs help in the backcourt with former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook struggling in his first season with the Lakers.
Typically, big names on the buyout market would consider joining LeBron James and Co. Apparently, that’s just not the case this season given Los Angeles’ struggles and the drama that is currently unfolding behind the scenes.
Los Angeles sits at 27-31 on the season and as the ninth seed in the Western Conference. It has lost 12 of 18 and is closer to missing out on the playoffs than earning a top-six seed and escaping the play-in tournament for a second consecutive season.
Goran Dragic signing has major implications for Ben Simmons
The drawn-out process that led to Simmons being traded to Brooklyn also included multiple teams around the NBA viewing him more as a power forward than a traditional point guard. A lot of that has to do with the three-time All-Star’s lack of perimeter shooting and the fact that he’s one of the better passers in the game. For these teams, they envisioned Simmons in a Draymond Green-type role.
We can now expect Brooklyn to follow suit. In addition to acquiring Simmons from Philadelphia, it also picked up guard Seth Curry (18.3 PPG, 52% three-point in three games with the Nets). Already boasting Kyrie Irving, Patty Mills and an ever-evolving Cam Thomas, there’s really no room for Simmons in the Nets’ backcourt.
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Instead, the expectation here is that he’ll play more of a point forward role next to Kevin Durant (when the two-time NBA Finals MVP returns from injury). Brooklyn will also go small at times with Durant playing the five and Simmons handling duties at the four. At the very least, the addition of Dragic gives these Nets more versatility to move Simmons around.
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Goran Dragic is a darn good addition for the Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn headed into the All-Star Break having lost 12 of 14 games. Durant remains sidelined to a sprained MCL. Kyrie Irving can only play road games due to his COVID-19 vaccination status and local New York City pandemic mandates.
A team that entered this season with widespread championship aspirations is on the brink. Does Dragic change everything? No. But he’s proven to be a darn good player and a veteran leader throughout his career.
- Goran Dragic stats (2013-21): 16.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.2 APG, 47% shooting, 37% three-point
It’s not too often that a team is able to get a player of this ilk on the buyout market. Brooklyn did just that, setting itself up well moving forward in the regular season and heading into the playoffs. That’s the biggest takeaway here.