Goran Dragic in the Right to Leave Phoenix Suns

In one of the biggest stories of the 2014-15 NBA regular season, Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports reported that Goran Dragic‘s representatives informed the Phoenix Suns that he wouldn’t be re-signing with the organization this coming summer.

A large portion of Suns fans have inevitably responded with anger and dismay, criticizing Dragic for turning his back on the team. What that population is ignoring, however, is one very important truth: Dragic is right to feel the way he does.

More importantly, Dragic is right to leave the Suns.

In 2013-14, Dragic won the Most Improved Player award and made an All-NBA Third Team appearance. He nearly led the Suns to a postseason appearance in a year in which Eric Bledsoe missed 39 games.

Phoenix’s response: signing fellow point guards Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas to lucrative long-term contracts.

Bledsoe, 25, remained a free agent until late September—roughly a week before training camp. In the end, he and the Suns came to terms on a five-year, $70 million contract.

Thus, the vision for a duel-point guard backcourt was completed—and then some.

Prior to re-signing Bledsoe, the Suns had acquired Isaiah Thomas in a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings. Thomas, 26, averaged 20.3 points and 6.3 assists in 2013-14 before signing a three-year, $27 million deal with Phoenix.

Beyond the stylistic risk of having three star-caliber point guards who all stand below 6’3″, one harsh reality began to sink in: at least one of those players would see a decline in their touches and role.

All three have suffered in some regard, with Dragic seeing some of the most drastic changes.

Dragic has also seen statistical declines of 4.1 less points, 1.8 fewer assists, 1.3 less field goal attempts and 3.0 fewer free throw attempts. More importantly, his usage rate has declined by 3.5 percent.

Per AZCentral Sports, that all starts with a change in Dragic’s role.

Phoenix is essentially doing to Dragic what the Los Angeles Lakers did with Pau Gasol during the Mike D’Antoni era: neutralizing his strengths for the benefit of a system.

That’s a fair approach for a head coach whose system nearly led to a postseason appearance, but a player is no worse a person for desiring a larger role when they’re clearly capable of filling it.

Jeff Hornacek is already one of the best head coaches in the NBA, but the Suns are holding onto the No. 8 seed by the skin of their teeth. They’re 5.5 games back of the No. 7 seed and just four games above .500.

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans are each within 1.5 games of the Suns, with OKC trailing by just .5 games.

The odds aren’t in Phoenix’s favor, and Dragic’s role limits his ability to create and contribute in a time of need.

Hornacek’s made the most of what he’s had, but that’s also required Dragic to play outside of his comfort zone in the prime of his career. While it’s mighty and noble to suggest that he should roll with the punches, professional basketball players only get so long to play the game they love.

To go from an All-NBA guard to a role player on the No. 8 seed is reason enough to pursue a trade.

Dragic maintains that he loves the city and the fans, no matter how they’ve responded to the news of his potential departure

At the end of the day, the most pertinent information is this: this isn’t the first time Phoenix and Dragic have butted heads.

Travel back to February of 2011. Fresh off of becoming a fan favorite with a massive postseason, the Suns traded Dragic to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Aaron Brooks—another point guard.

In one swift motion, the Suns went from naming Dragic as Steve Nash‘s heir apparent to replacing him with a supposedly superior player.

Three years later, the Suns made a similar move under a new front office regime. They traded for Bledsoe in 2013, re-signed him in 2014 and made minutes tough to come by with the acquisition of Thomas.

According to Paul Coro of AZCentral Sports, Dragic no longer trusts the organization.

"“I don’t trust them anymore,” Dragic said following Wednesday’s practice session. “It happens too many times. Two, three times.“They give promises, OK. It’s hard. But at the same time, I wish them all the best. They were great to me the past five years. I’m always going to have a good memory about Phoenix fans and the city. I just hit that point of my career that it’s better for me and my family to move on.”“I don’t feel comfortable with my situation,” he said, adding, “It’s just different. Standing in the corner, it’s not my game. I see that we’re not going the right direction. That’s why I take action and try to put myself in a better position.”"

When there’s no trust, there’s no relationship; not a healthy one, at least.

Dragic is not a spot-up shooter who should be relegated to the corner for 3-point field goals. He’s a dynamic playmaker whose ability to penetrate off the bounce is what helped Phoenix return to relevancy.

Dragic isn’t out-of-line to inform the Suns of his unwillingness to re-sign, but a good enough person to inform Phoenix of his intentions. Instead of being blindsided this coming summer, the organization can trade him and receive something in return before it ever comes to that.

Whether you’re happy for him or angry with him, one thing must be understood: Dragic is right to feel the way he does and has every right to pursue greater opportunities.

Next: What does every team need at the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline?