The Phoenix Suns, by all accounts, were going to stand pat at the NBA trade deadline, but, in a last-minute deal, appear to have traded back-up point guard Goran Dragic and the Suns' lottery-protected first-round draft pick to the Houston Rockets for point guard Aaron Brooks. Brooks is a restricted free agent after this season, while Dragic has a team option left on his contract for next year.
The Suns' draft pick will reportedly switch to Orlando's pick acquired in the December trade if the Suns miss the playoffs.
Brooks, 26, is a dynamic scoring point guard who can put points on the board quickly. Brooks is averaging 11.6 points and 3.8 assists per game in about 24 minutes off the bench this season. As a starter last year, he averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 assists in 36 minutes. Brooks was drafted 26th overall in 2007. The Suns reportedly loved him in that draft and would have taken him with the 29th pick had he been available.
Goran Dragic was drafted in the second round by the Suns as a relatively unknown guard out of Slovenia. After showing flashes of brilliance late last season, including his now-famous playoff performance against the Spurs, he has dropped off this year. Dragic is averaging 7.4 points and 3.1 assists in 17.8 minutes off the bench. Dragic has seen his shooting numbers drop considerably this season, as well.
Brooks is a smaller, faster and better shooting guard, while Dragic is bigger and a better defender.
Dragic has struggled this season with a variety of lineups, but there were some rumblings from the coaching staff that they expected more from him and needed him to show more leadership on the floor.
The trade has not yet been officially announced, but has been reported by multiple media sources.
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