After many short, action-packed, unconventional offseasons, we’re back with the traditional (and very peaceful) August of the annual NBA cycle. The NBA trade market is in deep drought, bottlenecked by a potential blockbuster trade involving stars Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant. But as the start of his training camp approaches in late September, it’s inevitable that pressure will be on teams across the league to acquire more talent (looking at you, new york knicks). Until then, we can only speculate on what the deal will be before the first tip-off of the 2022-23 season.
So guess what we will do!of utah jazz It is likely to embark on its first rebuild since the 2013-14 season and is poised to become one of the biggest sellers in the NBA market. Aside from Donovan Mitchell, the majority of Utah’s tradable assets are Rudy Gay (36), Mike Conley (34), Patrick Beverley (34), Bojan Bogdanovic (33) and Jordan Clarke. It’s on the other side of 30 from Son (30).
For me, the most valuable player in that group is Bojan Bogdanovic. Last season, Bogdanovic averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game with his split shooting 45.5/38.7/85.8%. Offensively, Boganovic has had one of his most influential seasons to date. According to the Bball Index, Bogdanovic posted a career-best 3.60 LeBron WAR and a career-best 1.68 O-LeBron. Bogdanovic is able to create amazing gravity around his perimeter by taking great solo shots, spacing out defenses and allowing his team’s ballhandlers to drive into the paint with less congestion.
However, while he still has some offensive talent, we have to admit that Bogdanovic has fallen behind as a defender.in the Utah playoff series. Dallas Mavericks, Bogdanovic has shown that he can play with high energy and hold his own against slower players, but statistics show his impact is not great. is -1.44 and D-RAPTOR is -2.4, placing him at the bottom of the list of players with more than 2,000 minutes. For any team interested in Bogdanovic, this would be waved as the biggest red flag.
Considering Bogdanovic has an expiring contract worth about $19.5 million, the team shouldn’t have to worry about paying him after this season. His work has been pretty consistent, especially over his three seasons in Utah, so I don’t think he’ll experience extreme levels of regression. Because of this, I think Bogdanovic could get a first-round pick for the Utah Jazz.
For potential trade candidates, los angeles lakers stands as the most obvious choice. A deal with them could be centered around Taren Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn, or something bigger centered around Russell Westbrook. In both cases, we expect Jazz to receive some form of note capital.
of Sacramento Kings We are also an interesting trading partner. If they’re serious about becoming a playoff team, a trade involving a 2023 first-round pick could benefit both teams. I think you want protection on picks 1-10, but it’s an interesting possibility.
Ultimately, some contenders in the league will see value in a Bogdanovic trade. He’s been one of my favorite jazz players for the past three seasons. I hope Utah finds a place where he can win basketball.
All stats from bballindex.com When BasketballReference.com.
