NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Goran Dragic

Honorable Mention: Minnesota Timberwolves

As mentioned by ESPN’s Zach Lowe on a recent podcast with Brian Windhorst, the Minnesota Timberwolves could be one team to keep an eye on in the Goran Dragic sweepstakes.

While Dragic isn’t that much of an upgrade over Ricky Rubio, especially when Rubio’s superior defense is factored in, trading for a point guard who can not only distribute but also spread the floor may help take the Wolves’ offense to another level.

Not only would Dragic make life easier for Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, but it’d also close the door on a disappointing Ricky Rubio era that’s been rife with injuries and underperforming teams.

Timberwolves fans who have actually been paying attention over the last few seasons will note that Rubio is not nearly as bad as his critics make him out to be, but Dragic would be an upgrade for a 9-19 team that’s not meeting expectations.

If the Wolves want to jumpstart this underperforming group while still retaining a starting-caliber point guard, since rookie Kris Dunn looks nowhere near being ready to take over the 1-spot, trading for Dragic is about as good as it gets.

Despite their less than savory start, the Wolves are only 2.5 games out of a playoff spot in the West, and Dragic would make the NBA’s 10th ranked offense that much more potent.

There’d be some defensive slippage for the NBA’s 26th-ranked defense, to be sure, but that end of the floor wasn’t really a priority anyway, and Dragic isn’t a bad defender by any means.

There’s no need to trade Rubio just yet, and from the Heat’s perspective, more would have to be included than a 26-year-old point guard who has never really lived up to the pre-draft hype.

But even if Minnesota was seriously interested in Dragic, the Wolves probably don’t have the assets to swing a trade that properly compensates Miami for its starting point guard, which is why they only make the honorable mention section of our list.