The Phoenix Suns wasted approximately no time in trying to find the Steve Nash replacement. Just hours after the sign-and-trade deal put the aging point guard on the Los Angeles Lakers, his old backup received an offer and eventually agreed to terms to return to Phoenix.
Going online now: Suns move quickly after Steve Nash trade and strike four-year deal with Goran Dragic worth $34 million, sources tell ESPN
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 5, 2012
Dragic was drafted originally by the San Antonio Spurs with the 45th pick in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft, but then his rights were traded almost immediately to the Suns. After a quiet rookie year, Dragic had some huge moments in his sophomore campaign, particularly in the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs. Dragic was then traded midway through the 2010-11 campaign to the Houston Rockets, where he ended up being the backup for Kyle Lowry. Dragic then showed what he could do as a starter when Lowry went down to injury early in the season.
Dragic provides some quick stability for Phoenix, who now figure to ride the youth movement in their quest to rebuild and redevelop the Suns franchise.
Update: Added details on the Dragic contract from Paul Coro.
Goran Dragic contract tweak: it's a 4-year, $30M deal with potential to be $34M from annual $1M All-Star bonuses. 4th year is player option.
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) July 5, 2012
Talk about Dragic with Suns fans by heading on over to Bright Side of the Sun.
Check out the SB Nation NBA YouTube channel to check out any coverage of the free agency period up to this point.