Goran Dragic tells Suns he won't re-sign after season

Sam Amick | USA TODAY Sports

Goran Dragic wants out of Phoenix.

According to two people with knowledge of the situation, the representatives for the Phoenix Suns point guard told team officials in a Tuesday meeting that he has no plans to re-sign in Phoenix this summer as a free agent. The people spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

With the Thursday trade deadline looming and the clear message now sent that Dragic plans on playing elsewhere next season, it remains to be seen if Suns general manager Ryan McDonough will succumb to the pressure and agree to a deal. According to one of the people, the Suns were given a list of seven teams with which Dragic would be willing to re-sign if traded. The Los Angeles Lakers are known to be on the list, but the Houston Rockets - who have coveted a Dragic return for quite some time now - are not.

Coming off a career year in 2013-14 with 20.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 35.1 minutes per game while playing alongside Eric Bledsoe, Dragic has seen his role decreased through the addition of point guard Isaiah Thomas via free agency last summer.

The three-point guard approach has worked well for Phoenix (29-25) at times, but the Suns lost seven of their past 10 games entering the All-Star break, and Dragic appears ready to move on.

The main issue, according to one of the people, is that Dragic wants to run his own team with the kind of freedom and support given to someone such as Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. The decrease in production this season, as he sees it, is directly tied to the decrease in time spent as the lead guard with the host of ballhandlers that surround him. Dragic is averaging 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 33.4 minutes per game this season.

While the Suns could trade Thomas as a way to relieve the obvious pressure in this point guard dynamic, it appears Dragic does not want to return even if a move like that was made. The Rockets and Lakers were previously known to be among the teams pursuing him, and the New York Knicks are known to have interest as well.

Any team that trades for Dragic certainly would want to know whether he's willing to sign with them this summer before doing a deal, as the prospect of giving up the necessary assets only to lose him in the summertime is certainly not tenable. Dragic, who is represented by BDA Sports Management, would strongly prefer to play for a playoff contender.

Teams like the Rockets that aren't on his list might still be emboldened to trade for him because of the advantage that comes with landing him now and getting his Bird Rights, meaning he can receive a five-year offer (as opposed to four) from only the team that he plays for at season's end. What's more, the general consensus among executives who have spoken with the Suns is that the teams to which Dragic wants to be traded simply don't have the sort of necessary assets to get a deal done. McDonough is known to be seeking a high-level player and a first-round pick in return.