The Dallas Mavericks will forever be linked to Goran Dragic as long as Dragic is still playing in the NBA. This is due to the natural chemistry between Dragic and Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, who are national teammates for Slovenia. Dragic predicted Doncic’s dominance in the NBA when Luka was still a 17-year-old and has been a mentor for the now 23-year-old.
After the Mavericks saw Jalen Brunson walk to the New York Knicks for nothing in exchange, many expected Dragic to be the replacement that the Mavericks signed in that position. This expectation caused many to be shocked when Dragic was announced to have signed with the Chicago Bulls.
Dragic has revealed why he chose the Bulls over the Mavericks in an interview with Slovenian outlet Vecer. The story was translated by Slovenian podcaster Matej Petek and shared on Twitter.
Goran Dragic: "We were in talks with Dallas. They made an offer but I decided not to take it. They wanted me to play 1 game and then sit for the next 5. I know I can still easily play 20 minutes per game. I'm not ready to retire and just sit on the bench in a cheerleading role." https://t.co/0W6yW1U6kG
— Matej Sportinfo (@MatejSportinfo) July 13, 2022
This is a pretty stunning revelation considering Dragic could have played a genuine role in Dallas. With the Mavericks expected to start Spencer Dinwiddie alongside Doncic in the back-court, they have no reliable point guards coming off the bench. Dragic could have been the solution and slot in for 15+ minutes a night.
The Mavericks do have a lot of guard depth on their roster, especially with the addition of Jaden Hardy, but outside Luka and Dinwiddie, none of the guards are playmakers. Dragic showed great utility in the playoffs with the Brooklyn Nets and believes he can do it for the Bulls, who saw injuries to their starting point guard Lonzo Ball derail their season.
Mark Cuban was very passive-aggressive with the Mavs fanbase after they sent mean tweets toward him when Dragic was announced as a Chicago Bull. He should get ready, as Mavs fans won’t be happy about this news coming if the team isn’t planning on more offseason moves.
