Free agency has been underway for nearly three weeks, and Goran Dragic told Slovenian newspaper Vecer that the Dallas Mavericks offered him a contract.
However, Dragic declined to sign the offer because Dallas offered him a limited role. Per Dragic, the Mavs couldn’t provide him sufficient playing time, and he still believes he can be helpful to a team on and off the floor.
“We were in talks with Dallas. They made an offer, but I decided not to take it. They wanted me to play one game and then sit for the next five. 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.” Dragic said, according to a Slovenian translation.”
“At the end of the day, they could not guarantee that I will play. They told me that I would rather be on the bench; however that does not interest me,” Dragic added. “That’s why my signing there was not an option.”
When Dragic was asked about his time in Brooklyn, particularly about playing with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant this past season, he was pretty blunt about his thoughts.
The Nets went 44-38, but the regular-season was filled with injuries (Durant’s foot injury) and drama surrounding Irving’s vaccination status that led to James Harden demanding a trade that led to him getting traded to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons.
“It was quite hard because it wasn’t about the team, but more about individual performances.”
Goran Dragic on playing with KD and Kyrie:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 13, 2022
“It was quite hard, because it wasn’t about the team, but more about individual performances.”
(via @SiolSPORTAL) pic.twitter.com/a0kfbPxIXn
Dragic averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 37.7 percent shooting from the field in 21 total appearances between the Raptors and Nets.
