Goran Dragic clarifies comments about playing for Raptors

Goran Dragic raised some eyebrows Monday when he suggested that he wasn’t particularly happy about being traded to the Toronto Raptors. Later in the day, he did some cleanup on those remarks.

Dragic said in an interview on Slovenian television that he had “higher ambitions” than playing for the Raptors, and that Toronto had not been his preferred destination. Naturally, those remarks made it back to Toronto, where a number of Raptors fans were unimpressed with the first comments they had heard from their new point guard.

In light of the response, Dragic spoke to Michael Grange of Sportsnet to clarify his remarks. Dragic apologized and said his words had not come out right, and that he would remain professional and play as hard as he could for Toronto while there.

I just spoke with former Miami Heat and (for now) Toronto Raptors guard Goran Dragic about his comments on Slovenian TV. He is one of the most respected vets in the NBA, and clearly feels terribly about how things have come across. Story coming soon for @Sportsnet: pic.twitter.com/gNa0u5gR31

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) August 9, 2021

It’s pretty easy to read between the lines regarding Dragic’s initial comments. He has nothing against the Raptors or the city of Toronto. However, the 35-year-old wants to compete for a championship, while the Raptors are in the middle of a retooling process instead. That makes being traded by the Miami Heat even more disappointing.

The Raptors could ship out more big names before their current rebuild is over. If he’s lucky, Dragic may be able to get a buyout, but at worst, he’s a free agent at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Photo: Ailura/Wikimedia via CC BY-SA 3.0 AT