Goran Dragic's situation is a complicated one. Different contracts, buyouts, countries and the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement combine for some difficulty. To help make this point and maybe even explain the mess a bit (at least I hope so...honestly, I'm just winging it) here's an email string between myself and four friends/loyal readers:

Rob to McLane, Craig, Clydesdale, and Ozzy

McLane to Rob, Craig, Clydesdale, and Ozzy


Craig to McLane, Rob, Clydesdale and Ozzy

Almost with you until you used the phrase "they're only allowed to contribute..." who is "they" and which buyout are they contributing to?

McLane to Craig, Rob, Clydesdale and Ozzy

The NBA's CBA allows a team to contribute a maximum of $500k to a buyout of an international player. "They" refers to the Suns. The contract they'll be buying out is Dragic's contract with Tau, the Spanish team.

Clydesdale to McLane, Craig, Rob and Ozzy

"It’s gotta be your bull"

Craig to McLane, Rob, Clydesdale, and Ozzy

Yeah, but does the Spanish team then turn around and use that money to buy out the Slovenian contract? And I thought Dragic was going to put up some of his own money as well...

Clydesdale to Craig, McLane, Rob, and Ozzy

Either way the suns contribute 500k. That’s why they are going to have to pay him more than the avg. rook.

McLane to Craig, Rob, Clydesdale and Ozzy

Right. I don't know what has to happen first but it seems to me Tau would buy out his Slovenian contract. Sounds like the owner of the Slovenian club gets a little extra scratch from winning his court case against Tau. And yeah, even if the Suns aren't allowed to throw down the $500k yet, Tau knows it's money in the bank.

And yes, Dragic will have to put up some of his own money to get out of the contract. Which is why the Suns are going to pay him more money than a second rounder ever gets. There's no rookie scale for second round picks, that's how they can get away with it.

Ozzy to McLane, Craig, Rob and Clydesdale

How did this guy last to the 2nd round if he is as good as everyone says, and is going to take over for Nash one day?

McLane to Craig, Rob, Clydesdale and Ozzy

Kerr and Griffin supposedly almost took him at 15 in the first round. That's how nuts they are about him.

I don't know, Ozzy. He better pan out. For the money they'll have to shell out and that they basically used two picks to get him, he needs to. Defense is something he excels at.

He's also left-handed. Maybe Kerr wanted his own Manu.

Craig to McLane, Rob, Clydesdale and Ozzy

Don't compare him to Manu, I want to like this guy.

Clydesdale to McLane, Craig, Rob and Ozzy

I would like Manu if he were on my team but he’s not, so I hate his guts and want to kick him in his rather larger nose and rub Nair on his head so he loses more hair back there.

That is all.

McLane to Craig, Rob, Clydesdale and Ozzy

I hate Manu's face and skewer me for saying this, but he'd be my favorite player if he wore a Suns uniform.

Ozzy to McLane, Craig, Rob and Clydesdale

How come nobody else in the league took him until mid-late in the 2nd round? Hopefully he will be as good as Rondo, because we could have him right now. Or Marcus Williams or Jordan Farmar, or I hear that Fernandez guy we traded for nothing last year is supposed to be incredible now too.

I read how Dragic is supposed to be amazing I think the journalist even said as good as Nash one day, and I just don’t understand how Kerr and Griffin are the only ones excited about him if he is supposed to be that good.

McLane to Craig, Rob, Clydesdale and Ozzy

The buyout/contract mess plays a big part in it, Ozzy. The understanding was Dragic would play out the remaining year or two on his contract in Europe and continue to develop. The need to get him over here arose when the Suns were unable to lure any retread backup points for the veteran's minimum.

And to be honest, I'm not broken up about Jason Williams, Tyronne Lue and Anthony Johnson going elsewhere. The worst that can happen is Dragic comes over, isn't quite ready to contribute and LB slides back into the role. It obviously isn't ideal but the team has had that setup for years now.

Also, Marcus Williams is a chump. Farmar...meh. Fernandez is pretty darn good, but the Blazers bought that pick up from Sarver like the Dukes clamoring for frozen orange juice concentrate.

Rob to McLane, Craig, Clydesdale and Ozzy

This is all starting to make sense.

McLane to Craig, Rob, Clydesdale and Ozzy

I can see the wheels turning in Rob's head right now.

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