Goran Dragic is officially the most popular man in the NBA as the trade deadline is just over a day away. The Phoenix Suns point guard is going to be a free agent come the summer and several teams are targeting him as their next piece to the offense. With Rajon Rondo potentially off the market, Dragic is the best available at his position heading into the offseason. With a return to the Phoenix Suns unlikely, are the New York Knicks the frontrunner for the point guard?
According to ESPN.com, Dragic has informed the Suns that he will not re-sign with the team in free agency. Dragic is currently on a crowded backcourt with Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas who are both signed to long-term contracts. Dragic has been battling for minutes all season and would prefer to be a starter instead of a bench player. With a return out of the question, the Suns are making a trade for the point guard a priority and interest is very high amongst teams heading into the Thursday deadline.
ESPN.com is reporting that right now the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks are the favorites to land Dragic with the Knicks emerging as the frontrunner. New York has been interested in Dragic for over a year now and intend on signing him to a max contract in the offseason. The Lakers want to do the same thing. However, the issue is that at the moment the Suns are reportedly requesting a first-round draft pick for the point guard, something neither team can offer at the moment.
The Knicks will dangle players like Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani along with protect pick years for now in hopes that is enough to get Dragic. According to the New York Daily News, Calderon is the next likely trade candidate for the Knicks after Amar'e Stoudemire was bought out and signed with the Dallas Mavericks. He has a high-priced contract to his name which is something Phoenix could easily reject, but the expiring contract of Bargnani could be the better option.
The Knicks want a point guard to take them into the future. Team president Phil Jackson was never truly invested in Calderon when he took over. If Dragic is not an option, they will have to hold off until the offseason when they can target players like Brandon Jennings, Reggie Jackson and Norris Cole with contracts.