PHOENIX (EuroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) – When the Phoenix Suns signed Goran Dragic in 2008, it wasn’t long after that he became a possible heir to club great Steve Nash at point guard.

Dragic has indeed supplanted Nash as the club’s floor general, but not in the way anyone expected.

He has only made it to the top point guard spot after being traded by the Suns, and then re-signed as a free agent.

In the 2010-11 campaign, the Suns dealt Dragic to the Houston Rockets.

While there, the Slovenia international became the starter after first choice Kyle Lowry was struck down by a bacterial infection.

Dragic took full advantage, posting double-doubles in points and assists on several occasions.

He cemented his status as a bona fide starting point guard in the NBA.

With Nash leaving the Suns and joining the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, Phoenix decided to go after Dragic, a player that hadn’t quite been the right fit the first time.

“When we thought about where our franchise was and where we were headed in this new era of Suns basketball, we thought about who we wanted to be our pilot moving forward, and all roads led back to Goran,”said Lon Babby, Suns President of Basketball Operations.

The glass is half full

Whenever a player is traded, there is normally a feeling of being unwanted by the club.

If Dragic believed that to be the case, he didn’t dwell on it.

“It was tough,” Dragic said.

“You can say it’s a business, but it’s still hard to say goodbye to teammates and friends.

“But I think for everybody, there comes a point in your career where you have to be strong and look forward, and that was what I decided I needed to do when going to Houston.”

Dragic had already shown flashes of brilliance for the Suns.

In 2010, he erupted for 23 points in only 12 minutes in a Western Conference Semifinals clash with San Antonio.

But he wasn’t quite the finished article.

What he needed most was to start and he got that chance in Houston.

“I think it worked out best for me because it gave me the opportunity to play more minutes and to show that I can play in this league,” Dragic said in an interview on the Suns website.

“I gained a lot of confidence in Houston and showed that I’m capable of being a leader both on and off the floor.

“In the past, I was a little shyer on the court and didn’t do much talking, but now it’s much different.”

Dragic will be a cause célèbre when he runs onto the floor in his homeland next summer as Slovenia host the 24-team EuroBasket.

Not only will it be one of the greatest moments in the nation’s basketball history, but also an opportunity for fans to see one of their leading NBA players in Dragic, a man that will try to lead the team into the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

FIBA