Trade Deadline: Another Potential Goran Dragic Move
Goran Dragic will be most likely be moved in the next 35 minutes from the Phoenix Suns as the trade deadline for the NBA is closing in.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets are moving in on a deal that will send Reggie Jackson to the Nets and Brook Lopez will be traded to the Thunder. The Thunder are in dire need of backcourt depth and could very easily turn their sights to Phoenix in order to fill this need while addressing a key need of the Suns while doing so.
What if, and it is a big what if, the Suns and Thunder pulled off a deal involving Dragic heading to Oklahoma City and the former Stanford Cardinal center Lopez to Phoenix?
Oklahoma City's probing another possible deal before committing to Brooklyn trade, league sources tell Yahoo. Decision soon.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
Sources: Brooklyn still waiting on OKC to finalize a Brook Lopez deal, but Thunder hunting elsewhere within 20 minutes of deadline.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
Phoenix and Miami are still discussing a Goran Dragic deal, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
It would be the best of both worlds as the Thunder would be able to pair Westbrook and Dragic in the back court and the Suns would finally obtain an established NBA center to man the post. The only potential snag in the situation would be the fact that the Thunder are currently a half game behind the Suns in the Western Conference standings entering Thursday night and this move would definitely help the Thunder set up a run for the eighth seed and beyond.
Phoenix would also be set up well with Lopez starting at center with Isaiah Thomas joining the starting lineup in place of Dragic. A lineup of Thomas, Eric Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris, and Lopez seems pretty great. It would pay off to have a solid big to start at center, especially with Alex Len then being able to come off the bench as he eases back in after a scary ankle injury before the all-star break.