Goran Dragic

After seven seasons with the Heat, Dragic was dealt to Toronto in August as part of the sign-and-trade deal that routed Kyle Lowry to Miami. It remains to be seen how likely the 35-year-old Dragic is to stay with the probably-rebuilding Raptors. After the move, the guard made some since recanted disparaging comments about his aspirations not matching up with Toronto. A larger concern might be The Dragon's health. Over the past three seasons, Dragic has missed roughly 82 games due to injury. Ankle and back issues forced Dragic to appear in 50 out of 72 games last year. Dragic also scored in single-digits in 15 of those 50 games. Should Dragic stay in Toronto, he'll clearly be below Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent in the backcourt pecking order. The Raptors are committed to FVV and Trent long-term, while Dragic is on a one-year deal. Despite Dragic's advanced age, he's still a sharpshooter from deep who can also create opportunities for others. Over his last five seasons in Miami, Dragic drained 37.5 percent of this three-point attempts and averaged 5.0 dimes per game. He shot 37.3 percent from behind the arc last season. Whether with the Raptors or elsewhere, accurate shooting and playmaking are always in demand. In Toronto, he'll have lots of opportunities to excel, as their bench lacks scoring options. But if he's dealt to a contender, the 13-year veteran will be hard pressed to match last year's 26.7 minutes per game.

Dragic had a bounceback season with the Heat in 2019-20 during his age 33 campaign. He averaged 16.2 points on 44.1 percent shooting, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 threes in 28.2 minutes, occupying a sixth-man role. Dragic was also excellent in the playoffs, averaging 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 32.5 minutes. He opted to re-up with the Heat during 2020 free agency, inking a two-year, $37.4 million deal with the team. The backcourt rotation hasn't changed significantly for the Heat from 2019-20, so Dragic's role should stay very similar this season. That said, it's possible he'll see a slightly reduced workload if Miami wants to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Ultimately, Dragic should again be a solid late-round option in most fantasy leagues, though his upside is relatively limited.

Dragic is entering his 12th season after a knee injury forced him to play the fewest games of his career (36) in 2018-19. He played his fewest minutes (27.5) and grabbed his fewest rebounds (3.1) since 2011 while shooting his worst field goal percentage since his 2008 rookie season (41.3). Dragic had a knee scope performed during the season, and his recovery may have certainly contributed to the statistical downturns he experienced. From 2011-2017, he averaged 16.4 points, 5.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from three. Returning to the Heat healthy, his numbers should be closer to the previous seven-year average than his injury-plagued 2018. He began to turn his efficiency around post-All-Star break by improving his shooting percentage from the field, shooting percentage from three, and assist/turnover ratio. While there is hope for a more efficient and productive 2019-20, the arrival of superstar Jimmy Butler will limit Dragic's usage. Dragic, sharing the backcourt with the newly acquired Butler, may have to be off-ball more than he ever has. In his prime and the new face of the franchise, Butler figures to be an extremely high-usage player who will dominate the ball. Dragic has proven to be a capable source of scoring, field goal shooting and three-point shooting throughout his career, and though Butler caps his upside, it seems fair to expect Dragic to return to his usual form this season.

Though Dragic managed to snag his first All-Star appearance last season at age 32, he was an injury replacement and actually had a down year relative to 2016-17, seeing his points (17.3), assists (4.8) and field-goal percentage (45.0) drop. He’s also slipped on the defensive end lately, averaging 1.1 steals per 36 minutes over the past four campaigns compared to 1.5 steals per 36 during the first six years of his career. On a positive note, Dragic has improved as a free-throw shooter, making 79.5 percent of his attempts over the past two seasons compared 74.9 percent prior. He also posted a career high in rebounding last season (4.1), though it’s generally ill-advised to bank on consistent rebounding production from point guards. All things considered, despite being on the back end of his prime, Dragic is set to remain a high-usage player within the Heat’s offense and has played at least 72 games per season since 2012-13, making him one of the most reliable Fantasy options available during the back ends of drafts.

Dragic, at 30-years-old, had one of the best seasons of his career last season, bumping his points per game from 14.1 up to 20.3 while raising his effective field-goal percentage from 51.3 up to 52.7 percent. He also continued to provide decent value in both assists (5.8) and steals (1.2) per contest. His resurgence was due in large part to the Heat giving him more responsibility in running the offense, as he saw his usage rate jump from 21.9 to a team-leading 27.1 percent. Miami has made few roster adjustments heading into the 2017-18 campaign, with their biggest splash being the signing of Kelly Olynyk. As a result, Dragic will likely see a similar role next season and has a good chance of providing similar production across the board. While his assist numbers leave something to be desired, Dragic could likely be one of the better under-the-radar Fantasy producers at the point-guard slot next season in both year-long and daily formats.

Dragic’s 2015-16 season wouldn’t qualify as a disappointment, but his performance still left a little to be desired after he played spectacularly for the Heat upon coming over from the Suns in a deadline deal a year earlier. Since Dwyane Wade was able to stay relatively healthy during the season for one of the rare times in recent years, Dragic had to contend with sharing the play-making responsibilities, an adjustment he struggled with early on. To his credit, Dragic eventually found his footing as the season wore on, as he increased his per-game scoring in each month, highlighted by an April average of 17.4 points to go along with 4.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 31.8 minutes per game. It might be too ambitious to expect Dragic to maintain that April production for all of 2016-17, but with Wade departing for the Bulls this summer, the offense is now solely in the capable hands of the 30-year-old from Slovenia. While not an elite fantasy point guard, Dragic has been a steady asset over the last few years and should benefit from a spike in usage rate without Wade around to play the isolation game. In addition to providing quality outputs as a scorer, rebounder and assist man, Dragic has historically been one of the more efficient point guards from the field, holding down a 47.1 percent career mark. He’s therefore a candidate to provide sneaky value in the middle rounds of drafts.

Dragic was traded to Miami at last year's trade deadline and elected to sign a five-year, $90 million contract in July to stay with the team and serve as the starting point guard for the foreseeable future. Dragic appeared in just 26 games for the Heat last season but made the most of his time, posting averages of 16.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.1 steals in nearly 35 minutes per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. Entering the 2015-16 season, Dragic will look to have a similar, if not greater, impact with more talent surrounding him, as by the time he joined the team last February, Chris Bosh had been ruled out for the season. Dragic is at his best when the ball is in his hands and he has command of the offense. The versatile guard has the ability to finish at the rim and hit an outside jumper on a fairly consistent basis while serving as a positive contributor across the box score. The addition of Bosh sets up for a lot of pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop opportunities between the two, which could mean Dragic is in for a year that rivals his breakout 2013-14 season.

Dragic is entering his seventh year in the NBA and is coming off a breakout campaign. Last season, he averaged 20.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.4 steals in 35 minutes per game. He shot an extremely efficient 51 percent from the field on 14.4 attempts to go along with a 41-percent mark on 3.9 attempts from three. Dragic also shot 76 percent from the free-throw line while taking 5.5 attempts per game. This season, Dragic will have a little more help in the backcourt, as the Suns added point guard Isaiah Thomas in free agency. Eric Bledsoe is also expected to return healthy, though Bledsoe could still leave as a restricted free agent. After averaging a career-high in points and field goal percentage last year, Dragic figures to remain the go-to-guy for the Suns' offensive attack in 2014-15. Dragic will contribute to fantasy teams with his scoring, threes, and steals, while adding a solid amount of assists from the point guard position. As he heads into the season as the main piece in the Suns' fast paced system, Dragic looks to be among the top fantasy options at point guard.

The unenviable task of replacing future hall-of-famer Steve Nash fell to Goran Dragic, and Dragic rose to the occasion. His 14.7 points per game led the team in scoring, but he continued to get teammates involved, to the tune of 7.4 assists per game, while also contributing 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 34 minutes per game – all career-best numbers. He'll continue to be one of the primary offensive threats on a Suns team that promises to be among the league's worst. The arrival of Eric Bledsoe could theoretically cut into Dragic's role, but the Suns' current plan will put the two guards in the backcourt together, and to have Ish Smith and/or Kendall Marshall back up the point.

Opportunity knocked for Dragic last season in Houston when Kyle Lowry was sidelined in March with a bacterial infection, and Dragic didn’t disappoint. He averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 assists in the starting point guard gig in March, and stepped up that production to an even greater extent in April, registering 18.9 points and 7.7 assists per game, while also posting his first career triple-double. As an unrestricted free agent this summer, Dragic signed a lucrative deal to be the starter for the Suns, the team he made his NBA debut with 2008. He has big shoes to fill with the departure of Steve Nash to the Lakers, but will have an intriguing cast of teammates to work with, including Marcin Gortat, Michael Beasley, and former Rockets teammate Luis Scola. It wouldn’t be completely surprising to see Dragic replicate his April averages on a nightly basis throughout the season, but his March statistics may be more representative of his true talent. Dragic shoots well for a point guard, making 46.2 percent of his attempts last season, though that number could plummet as he assumes more of the scoring burden. Dragic will also need to trim his turnovers to be a top-tier fantasy point guard, as he averaged 4.3 turnovers per 48 minutes last season.

Dragic is a true point guard who can also knock down the three. He even had a triple-double while filling in for an injured Kyle Lowry down the stretch last year. He's going to compete with Jonny Flynn to be Lowry's backup, but is the type of player who could immediately step in and average seven-plus assists were Lowry to get hurt.

Dragic showed flashes of his potential while coming off the bench for the Suns last season, including a 26-point outburst against the Spurs in the playoffs. He'll be in a reserve role once again, but look for Dragic to see additional playing time now that Leandro Barbosa has been traded to Toronto.

Dragic was brought in to be the eventual replacement for Steve Nash at point guard, but he didn't show much as a rookie to indicate he'd be ready for the job any time soon. With Nash signed to an extension the Suns seemed to reach the same conclusion, so the Slovakian will have a couple more seasons to learn the ropes and adjust to the North American game.

Dragic drew comparisons in the Euroleague to Tony Parker due to his penchant to attack the basket, but he's not close to reaching that level yet. This season he'll be relied on mainly to give Steve Nash a rest, provide some physical defense off the bench and put a lot of work in at practice improving his outside shot.