Getty Goran Dragic drives the ball in a game against the Boston Celtics.
The Golden State Warriors were quiet at the trade deadline, and appear likely to miss out on another chance to add to their roster.
The Warriors have been one of a handful of teams connected to guard Goran Dragic, who on Tuesday agreed to a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, Dragic drew interest from the Warriors along with the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks. But it could be another team taking the lead in the race to land the former All-NBA player, an insider says.
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Competition for Dragic High
Dragic started the season with the Toronto Raptors, but was packaged with a 2022 first-round pick and shipped to the Spurs in a trade for Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks, and a 2022 second-round pick. As Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek noted, Dragic never suited up for the Spurs and many pegged him as a buyout candidate long before the two sides reached the agreement on Tuesday.
Before Wojnarowski outlined the teams in competition for Dragic, some had identified the Dallas Mavericks as the frontrunner, including Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports who wrote on February 10 that Dragic appeared likely headed for a reunion with his former team.
“Upon completion of an expected buyout between Goran Dragic and the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks will be the favorites to add the veteran point guard, league sources tell @YahooSports,” he tweeted.
Goran Dragic will enter free agency after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Spurs, per @ShamsCharania
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon agreed, saying in an appearance on NBA Today that Dragic seemed likely to join fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic on the Mavericks.
But the Warriors may give the Mavericks a run for Dragic. Wojnarowski noted that the Warriors and other non-Dallas suitors planned to be aggressive in their pursuit of the 35-year-old guard. Though this competition could be crowded, the Warriors could make a strong case for giving Dragic a chance to win a title in what will likely be one of his final seasons in the NBA.
Other Potential Candidates for Warriors
Beyond Dragic, some other players have been floated as potential candidates to join the Warriors. Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area noted that Golden State could address a need for depth in the frontcourt by targeting Robin Lopez or Tristan Thompson, who he noted could give some much-needed size in the paint.
“This season, Thompson is averaging 6.2 points and 5.8 rebounds. He still is a decent bench big who can hit the glass and bang on the inside,” Shrock wrote.
“The Los Angeles Lakers could be an option for Thompson, but the Warriors could be interested.”
The Warriors are still getting help in the paint with the impending return of James Wiseman, who has progressed to contact practices and on pace to return in the coming weeks.
If the Warriors do make an acquisition in the buyout market, they would face what could be a difficult roster decision. Unlike past years where Golden State intentionally kept some roster flexibility — and a bit of salary cap relief — by keeping a roster spot open beyond the trade deadline, the team this year has all 15 spots filled with players on guaranteed contracts.
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