Bojan Bogdanovic is among the big names in the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline. But while he looks like a perfect transfer candidate, the Pistons are reportedly increasingly looking to keep their veteran winger past the Feb. 9 date. In any case, that’s what is being said in the corridors of the Great League.
Bojan Bogdanovic is 33 years old. He is having the best individual campaign of his career, with stats of 21 points – 4 rebounds – 3 assists averaging 49% shooting, 42% 3-pointers and 88% free throws. He plays in the worst team in the Eastern Conference, a rebuilding team made up mostly of young nuggets. Finally, he has a salary of 20 million dollars a year until 2025, in other words a rather transferable contract.
In short, on paper, Bogdanovic looks like an ideal candidate to be included in a mid-season trade. And yet.
The Pistons would refuse to trade Bojan Bogdanović even if offered that fully unprotected future first-round pick, per @TheSteinLine
Sheesh.
(Via https://t.co/mHmz7e2Alh) pic.twitter.com/ccSTPbsw1Z
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) February 2, 2023
According to insider Marc Stein, the Pistons would have eliminated the idea of trading their veteran in the coming days, even in the event of an unprotected first-round draft offer. This counterpart was considered so far as the one that could convince Detroit to let go of the former Utah player. But obviously, the Michigan franchise is so taken with Bojan’s impact on the young Pistons group that they absolutely want to keep him for the rest of the year, and potentially the seasons to come.
So of course, one week before the deadline, it could very well be a tactic from the Pistons to raise the stakes regarding Bogdanovic. Detroit management knows very well that some ambitious teams or those looking for a boost want to secure the services of a player of Bojan’s quality, so you might as well play on it. Nevertheless, let’s not underestimate the importance of a veteran like the Croatian in the rebuilding processes.
Today, even if the Pistons are well placed to try to nab Victor Wembanyama in the next NBA Draft, there is already a core of very promising young people in Detroit, with Cade Cunningham in the lead but also Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and another Isaiah Stewart. These guys, for them to progress and above all for the reconstruction project to finally take off, you need not only a competent coach (Dwane Casey? Not sure) but also elders who are there to show the way forward. A role that Bogdanovic plays very well today.
So, rather a bluff or a real desire to keep Bojan?
Source text: Marc Stein