Report: Spurs Expected to Buy Out Goran Dragic, Multiple Contender Interested

The San Antonio Spurs are expected to buy out former Toronto Raptors guard Goran Dragic as interest in the 35-year-old guard mounts among contenders

Aaron Rose | Feb 12, 2022

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Goran Dragic will finally be getting his wish.

The former Toronto Raptors guard will reportedly be bought out by the San Antonio Spurs and is expected to draw significant interest from contending teams when he hits the open market, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Dragic played in five games with the Raptors before leaving the team for personal reasons back in November. He was, by all accounts, a valuable veteran in the locker room early in the season and a total professional, Raptors president Masai Ujiri said. The team ultimately decided to go in a different direction and Dragic was eventually traded to the San Antonio Spurs for Thad Young at Thursday's trade deadline.

San Antonio will now negotiate a buyout of Dragic's $19.4 million contract. Once that's complete, the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Brooklyn Nets are all expected to aggressively pursue the 35-year-old guard, per Wojnarowski.

While Dragic didn't impress in his brief Toronto stint, he was a solid contributor for the Miami Heat in 2020-21, averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 assists per game.

The Dallas Mavericks had been a team widely expected to pursue Dragic in the buyout market, but their acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie coupled with Jalen Brunson's success this season has filled any need for another ball handler.

Further Reading