Included as salary filler in the deal that sent Toronto Raptors legend Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat this past offseason, 13-year NBA veteran Goran Dragić wasn’t overly thrilled to leave behind the comforts of South Beach for a new team North of the border in the midst of a retool.
With rumours already swirling around his future in Toronto before ever setting foot in the city, the 35-year-old Slovenian gave credence to the chatter during an interview with a TV station in his home country.
A proclamation as blunt as this surely signalled the end of Dragić’s remarkably brief Raptor career, but with the start of the regular season just days away, Dragić is still here, finding himself in a prime position to help fill the void left by the greatest Raptor of all time.
Lowry’s departure left the new-look Raptors without a true veteran locker-room presence, a role that desperately needed to be filled. Dragić certainly owns the resumé to assume a leadership role, but the question is, ‘Does he want to take on that responsibility?’
Joining a team three seasons removed from an NBA championship searching for a new identity, the 2018 All-Star truly is a wildcard; a player that could come up aces for the Atlantic division squad may just as easily turn out to be a monumental flop, but if first impressions are a barometer of what’s to come, Dragić and his teammates appear to be off on the right foot.
At the very least, Dragić’s first season in Raptors colours will be worth keeping tabs on.
Matthew Lomon 