Goran Dragić

His Draft rights were then traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for cash considerations in addition to the Draft rights to Malik Hairston, the 48th pick.

Goran Dragić (born 6 May 1986) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player.

Dragić made his debut in 2003, at the age of 17, in the Slovenian minor league with KD Ilirija.

After one year, Dragic transferred to the top-level Slovenian Basketball League and Adriatic League club Slovan in 2004.

After spending two years with Slovan, Dragic transferred to the Spanish ACB League club Saski Baskonia, who loaned him to the Spanish club Murcia, in 2006.

Dragić joined the Slovenian club Union Olimpija in 2007, and he played there during the 2007–08 season, winning the Slovenian League championship with the team.

Nicknamed "the Dragon", he played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before entering the NBA in 2008.

Dragić also played for the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dragić entered the 2008 NBA Draft, where he was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by the San Antonio Spurs.

After the Suns finished a deal with TAU Ceramica (now known as Caja Laboral), with whom he was under contract, they officially signed him on 22 September 2008.

The Suns hoped that he would take over the starting point guard position after Steve Nash relinquished it.

On 25 January 2010, Dragić scored a then career high 32 points, hitting 6 of 7 three-pointers in a losing effort against the Utah Jazz.

On 7 May 2010, during game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, he led a Phoenix Suns comeback against the team that originally drafted him, the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 23 of his total 26 points in the fourth quarter.

Dragić scored his points on 10/13 FG attempts including 5/5 three-pointers and a 4-point play, as the Suns overcame an early 18-point deficit to defeat the Spurs 110–96 and take a 3–0 lead in their best of seven series in the Western Conference Semifinals.

"I think it's safe to say that may have been the best fourth-quarter performance I have ever seen in a playoff game", Suns forward Grant Hill said.

On 24 February 2011, Dragić was traded to the Houston Rockets along with a protected first-round pick in exchange for Aaron Brooks.

On 13 April 2011, in the Rockets' season finale, Dragić recorded his first career triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in a 121–102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Dragić played for Saski Baskonia of Spain.

He played for a brief period of time there until the lockout ended.

Dragić returned to the Rockets for the 2011–12 season.

Throughout most of the season, Dragić continued to be used as a bench player as a means to help the Rockets out during the lockout shortened season.

In March 2012, he filled in for Kyle Lowry, who was out with a bacterial infection.

On 9 April 2012, Dragić won the Western Conference Player of the Week.

In 2012, Dragić became an unrestricted free agent.

He agreed to sign a 4-year, $30 million deal with a player option on the final year with the Phoenix Suns and officially became a member of the team again on 19 July 2012.

He was brought in to replace Steve Nash, whom he played behind during his first stint with the Suns, as starting point guard.

On 19 February 2013, Dragić recorded a career-high 18 assists to go with 14 points as the Suns defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 102–98.

Dragić nearly recorded a triple-double against the Brooklyn Nets with 31 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds on 24 March 2013.

Despite suffering through a 25–57 season, Dragić ended up gaining some career high moments in the process.

After getting Eric Bledsoe from a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Suns ultimately decided to move Dragić to the shooting guard position as a means of putting less pressure on Dragić to distribute the ball to his teammates.

In his first game playing with Bledsoe as a teammate, Dragić led the team with 26 points and 9 assists in a 104–91 season opening victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Dragić had over 8 games with 30 points or more, including a double-double of 31 points and 10 assists in a victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on 27 November 2013.

He was an All-NBA Third Team selection and the NBA Most Improved Player with the Suns in 2014.

He also had what was, at the time, a career-high 33 points in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on 2 January 2014.

On 3 February 2014, Dragić won his second career Western Conference Player of the Week award and his first with the Suns for games played between 27 January – 2 February 2014.

Three days later, he was paired with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson in the revamped, team-based Skills Challenge at the All-Star weekend

On 8 February 2014, Dragić scored a career-high 34 points— while attempting only 13 field-goals— to go along with 10 assists in a 122–109 home victory over the Golden State Warriors.

On 23 February 2014, Dragić scored a new career-high 35 points, along with 3 assists and 3 steals, in a 112–115 loss to the Houston Rockets.

He led the senior Slovenian national team to its first FIBA EuroBasket title in 2017, while being named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

He was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in 2018 with Miami.