The Milwaukee Bucks added more depth – they signed Goran Dragic.
The Milwaukee Bucks have come to an agreement on a contract for the remainder of the season with veteran point guard Goran Dragic, the team announced Saturday night. The Bucks tried to sign Dragic a season ago after he received a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, but he ultimately landed with the Brooklyn Nets.
Dragic has had a relatively disappointing season with the Bulls. He is averaging just 6.4 points per game, the lowest mark he’s posted since his rookie season, and shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from behind the arc. The Bulls, missing Lonzo Ball all season, are below .500 and struggling to stay in the play-in race. Dragic, a 36-year-old veteran seeking his first championship, secured a buyout after he wasn’t dealt at the deadline. He had largely fallen out of the rotation since then.
The Celtics aren’t happy.
The Boston Celtics have been cold as of late, having lost three of their last four games. And with the playoffs right around the corner, it’s not exactly the ideal time for them to be struggling. To make matters worse, their top rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks, are loading up with quality players.
“They’re one of the teams pissed that the [Chicago] Bulls let Goran Dragic go because now, with Jae Crowder, the Bucks just have all this depth at every spot,” an Eastern Conference executive told Sean Devensy of Heavy Sports. “If you go back to the Christmas game, the Celtics have always felt good about what they can do against Milwaukee. But now, Milwaukee has this extra layer of flexibility they can throw at the Celtics, a guy who can surprise you and play 20 or 25 minutes and help you win a game.”
The Celtics added depth over the summer but that depth has been hampered. Gallinari was injured right away, Robert Williams has been unable to stay healthy and Grant Williams is reportedly dealing with a nagging injury hampering his performance. This has made the Celtics’ depth far less impressive.