9:53am: The Spurs have officially waived Dragic (Twitter link via Paul Garcia of Project Spurs). As noted below, he’ll clear waivers and become a free agent on Thursday.
8:30am: The Spurs and point guard Goran Dragic have reached a buyout agreement, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Assuming Dragic is officially released today and clears waivers – which is a near-certainty due to his $19.4MM cap hit – he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Thursday. At that point, he’d be free to sign with any team except the Raptors — NBA rules prohibit a team from re-signing a player it traded earlier in the league year if that player is cut by his new team.
Charania doesn’t identify any specific suitors for Dragic, but says “a slew” of teams are expected to pursue the playoff-tested veteran.
Previously, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski named the Bucks, Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, Bulls, and Nets as clubs expected to show interest in Dragic. Wojnarowski later said that Milwaukee, in particular, is expected to aggressively pursue the 35-year-old.
The Mavericks were viewed at one point as a potential frontrunner for Dragic, but acquired Spencer Dinwiddie at the trade deadline and are no longer believed to be in the market for a point guard. General manager Nico Harrison said last week that he thinks Dallas’ roster is “set.”
The Heat, meanwhile, are no longer ineligible to reacquire Dragic, since he was traded for a second time after Miami moved him in August. The guard has been working out in Miami for much of the season and the Heat have two open roster spots, so a reunion seems plausible, even though the club wasn’t mentioned by Wojnarowski over the weekend as a likely suitor.
Dragic averaged 13.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.4 RPG on .432/.373/.828 shooting in 50 games (26.7 MPG) for the Heat in 2020/21. However, he appeared in just five games for the Raptors this season after being sent to Toronto as part of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade.
Dragic hasn’t played since November, having taken a personal leave of absence from the Raptors up until he was traded to San Antonio at last week’s deadline.
Sixers could use a backup guard too. But they’d have to cut someone to also pick up a backup center like Freedom.
You don’t think the Sixers are set with Millsap, Reed, and Bassey as their backup bigs?
Bball is terrible from the Line, I’d say that a factor in his limited playing time. I don’t know that wed see a lot of Bassey/Reed down the stretch. Doc probably would someone with some playoff experience too.
With nunn out and who the heck knows if he will ever play I wouldn’t mind him
Dragic might be the 3rd best player on LAL’s roster if they could sign him
Thunder claim him just to screw him over. Lol. That would be hilarious
Lol I’d love that!
Pretty expensive move just to screw over someone.
That would be 3 teams that screwed Dragic over in a year, at least he’s getting paid.
Milwaukee would unfortunately make a lot of sense for him, and hopefully he doesnt sign there. Heat only have a roster spot for him now if they replace Morris with someone with their other spot. They’ll have that spot for him in the offseason though. Right now, they’re using kyle guy kind of in that floor spacing guard role as a 2 way guy, but those guys cant play in the playoffs anyway, so it’s not like they can just replace him with Goran, which they obviously would
It might be nice to have Goran in case Lowry or Herro get hurt, but they gave Haywood Highsmith the 10 day b/c of what I was saying about needing someone at the 4, and he is 1 of a potential few players that are current free agents that could fit. I think they are more focused on seeing what might work there with those options, and obviously getting Oladipo back. The other spot is for Caleb Martin
Dragic cannot sign with the Heat until the offseason since he the Heat traded him within the current year (after July 1st).
The article said he can sign with the Heat due to being traded by the Raptors
the only team that can’t sign dragic now are the raptors… and someone suggesting a 10 day to a swing guard is blocking dragic to the heat is laughable
I hope the Heat are in this. Ever since they had to trade him in the Lowry deal, I felt like they mutually would want to get together again. Dragic and the Heat seem to love each other. I figure if the Heat feel that they have the roster spot for them, he’ll be back. They know his game. He knows the system. He was happy here. They were happy with him.
Let’s do it Pat! Bring back the Dragon!
What about Denver for Dragic? They could use him instead of Austin Rivers, Campazzo, and Bones Hyland right now. If they dont have a roster spot, he could just replace Rivers. Besides them, Milwaukee makes the absolute most sense above anyone else really, which kind of sucks as a Heat fan
He probably chases a ring over playing time.
Yeah he could work there but not sure for how long.
When Murray is back, the depth chart will be Murray, Morris, Bones, Facu at the 1, Barton, Forbes, Rivers, Reed and Howard at the 2.
Nuggets are quietly having a good season in spite of the injuries but I’m not sure how much they’re ‘all in’ on making a run.
Malone seems to have his rotation set and the bench have been playing well the last couple of weeks.
Lakers need all the firepower they can get off the bench so I can see it working there.
Is he better than those guys? I don’t think so.
He’s better than Rivers and Bones right now, and Campazzo, although I’m mostly talking about Rivers
He’s not better than Bones. And even if he were, the Nuggets always think far ahead and there’s no way they’re benching Hyland and stunting his development.
Again, I was talking about Rivers, but ya, he is better than those guys right now
If the Nets take him, who are they cutting?
Carter?
The Bulls make sense with Lonzo out but it depends on how well they trust White, right?
Carter would be the one to go, but he has another year on his deal, so I’m not sure how straight forward it would be.
Ayo is actually the Bulls pg right now and he is doing great. Doubt they truly have interest unless Lonzo’s injury is worse than anticipated. Bulls have eyes on Tristan Thompson. Either way they would have to cut someone, thinking it is either McKinnie or Troy Brown Jr. Simonovic doesn’t play but he is considered a development project (irony there to be sure).
Dragic may not want such a loaded team at guard.
He wouldbe a good complement to Jrue as second-unit PG in MIL, and they have been buying, and are good.
Miami Heat.
I would assume so, unless the Bucks talk him into it. Those are probably your options.
He will go with the team that has the best chance of winning a championship. No doubt about it. No other reason but look at the options and pick the team he feels he can win a championship with and get some minutes in their lineup.
Do you know him? That is not first on everyone’s agenda. Maybe he goes where his family is comfortable.
He is only going to be there for 20 games so why would he care what city it is when he is a free agent at the end of the year.
Miami
If it’s a ring but with a reasonable amount of playing time it’s probably either MIL or PHI. Don’t see a ton of rotation time for him in PHX or GS
There would be minutes in BK too but if Kyrie is 0.5 then I don’t really see them as contenders this year.
I have seen reports that he was talking about potentially where he might end up when he was at the Heat-Nets game Saturday. Kind of made it seem like he knows the Heat dont need him/they havent necessarily been calling, while Milwaukee is, and I wouldnt be surprised if we find out he’ll sign there when he clears waivers, even as soon as today…really hope I’m wrong, but just pointing that out
I still think he’ll end up back on the Heat somehow but i could see him going to Philly that would be a great spot.
He’d fit with almost any contender. I think PHX, despite CP3, could be an attractive place for him. JJ will again piece together a great bench for the playoff run. He’s familiar with the city.
He hates the Suns.. he’s played there twice and both times demanded out. The Suns did him dirty after Nash left… instead of letting him start they brought in 2 PG’s and told him to play the 2 or sit on the bench. Nash had groomed him to be his replacement for 2-3 years.
Milwaukee makes alot of sense for Dragic.
He’s has a house in Miami… he’s been in Miami training since November… he’s working out with current Heat players… he’s going to Heat games… he himself said he loves the Heat… but yea that duck is a rabbit lol
Nets should definitely go after him….
I might be dumb but I don’t understand this trade. Y trade for dragic then release him?
The Spurs made the trade for the draft pick that came attached to the player, not the player himself.