Goran Dragic to Phoenix Suns: Analysis, Grade and Twitter Reaction

Goran Dragic has agreed to a four-year, $34 million contract with the Phoenix Suns, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.

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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"

Contracts cannot become official until July 11.

Steve Nash's departure to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday created the need for another floor general in Phoenix, but this signing isn't a smart one for the Suns.

They have now committed a total of $52 million to Dragic and Michael Beasley in the last few days, which makes absolutely no sense.

Let's analyze this signing for the Suns, grade it and look at the best reaction from Twitter.

Twitter Reaction

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports confirms ESPN's report and adds some information from the Rockets' side.

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As ESPN reported, Goran Dragic agreed to a 4 year, $34M deal with the Suns. Rockets decided that was "too rich" and let him go, source says.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 5, 2012"

Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld explains what Dragic's deal could mean for point guard Aaron Brooks.

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After signing Goran Dragic and drafting Kendall Marshall, it's unlikely the Suns match a large offer for restricted free agent Aaron Brooks.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 5, 2012"

Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm does a good job quantifying the financial impact of these two contracts.

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Essentially, the Suns will be paying Goran Dragic and Michael Beasley cumulatively the value of a max contract for three years.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) July 5, 2012"

Analysis

Dragic is a starting caliber point guard—as he proved last season with the Rockets—but his price tag was inflated. While he shined after taking over for Kyle Lowry in Houston, Dragic still doesn't have much starting experience in the NBA, and will probably never become an All-Star in this league. 

The Suns have downgraded at point guard in a major way by signing Dragic and trading Nash. The newly minted Laker shot 39 percent from the three-point line and 89 percent from the foul line, compared to Dragic's 36 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 73 percent shooting from the line. And like Nash, Dragic's one-on-one defense isn't great.

The Suns have a capable point guard in Kendall Marshall who would have been able to start as a rookie and run the offense effectively. He is as pure of a point guard as you're going to find in this day and age, and can spread the ball around very efficiently. Marshall should start, but Dragic will undoubtedly be handed the reins after being paid starter's money.

Grade: C-

Dragic is nowhere near an $8.5 million per year type of player. If the Suns are able to sign Eric Gordon from the New Orleans Hornets, the team will have put too much capital into their backcourt.

This would be a troubling development, as the Suns don't have a very good frontcourt. The lack of an impact player who can dominate in the low post at both ends of the floor remains a glaring weakness on the Suns' roster.

Even if the Suns don't get Gordon, the contracts of Dragic and Beasley may hurt their ability to sign the top-tier big man they desperately need.

This is a poor signing for the Suns, and it won't make them significantly better next season.