NBA Rumors: Goran Dragic To Mavericks For Trey Burke, Dwight Powell, Pick(s)

When the Toronto Raptors traded their beloved long-time point guard to the Miami Heat this past offseason, fans were disappointed but optimistic about the return they received for the 6x All-Star. Veteran point guard Goran Dragic and the 20th pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Precious Achiuwa were both expected to be key players for the Raptors this season, but surprisingly only Achiuwa has found a consistent role with the team.

Dragic has made just 5 appearances with his new team, and he has been the subject of trade rumors and buyout speculation for months. Eric Koreen and John Hollinger of The Athletic discussed the probability of a buyout if a trade for Dragic doesn't occur by the deadline, but also noted that Raptors GM Masai Ujiri may be planning on playing hardball, rather than simply giving up Dragic for nothing - even if it saves the team from approaching the luxury tax. Hollinger outlines a trade scenario that could work for both sides:

Consider, for instance, trading Dragić to Dallas for Trey Burke, Dwight Powell and a protected 2027 first-round pick. That gives the Raps a legit big man under contract for next year, and gives Dallas enough financial runway to re-sign Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith this coming summer. Maybe I’m being too optimistic on the draft return and it’s more like two seconds, but my point is there is a way to get draft picks from Dragić’s expiring contract, if they can hold their nose next season on a not-great contract.

It has already been reported that Dragic wants to play in Dallas with fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic, and if Mavericks management believes the Raptors will hold on to the 35-year-old until the end of the season rather than buy him out, a trade could happen in the waning hours of the deadline.