For a team better known for pawning off draft picks to the highest bidder, it's been an odd summer watching the Phoenix Suns. Landing with the #15 in the first round, Phoenix didn't sell it ... they used it, on Robin Lopez. As TrueHoop's Henry Abbott notes, armed with a second-rounder, the Suns tacked on some extra dough to move up to grab the guy they wanted. That guy happened to be Slovenian point guard Goran Dragic, a big physical fellow which an imposing surname.The Arizona Republic reports Dragic will sign a three-year, fully guaranteed deal with Phoenix. Most seconds get one or two years guaranteed at most; some, including high second DeAndre Jordan, don't get paid unless they make the team in October. Yet, because Dragic made a rather big financial commitment to leave Tau Ceramica, Phoenix had to pony up a large financial commitment of their own. Abbott:
Dragic had better be good. On that front, the Suns' brass has a lot of conviction. I love that. Identify the players you like and then -- everyone else's views be damned -- go get them.One of the biggest problems sub-elite internationals face in the NBA is a lack of minutes. Sarunas Jasikevicius suffered this ... Vassilis Spanoulis, as well. All players -- from NYC or Ljubljana -- need minutes to get acclimated and get into some comfort level. If the Suns -- including Terry Porter -- believe in the power of Dragic, this hurdle will be skipped. Then, he has no excuse if he can't prove he belongs in the NBA.
