Should the Detroit Pistons cash in on Bojan Bogdanovic now?

The Detroit Pistons should trade Bojan Bogdanovic now

I think the argument for trading Bogdanovic now is also a simple one: His value will never be higher and this team is a still a long way from being good.

If there are truly as many as 12 teams inquiring about Bogdanovic, then the Detroit Pistons could have a bidding war on their hands which could end with someone overpaying. The Lakers are posturing about protections, but they may give in and dump both of their first round picks for Bogs at some point.

And if they don’t, there are 11 other teams out there (at least) who have young players or future picks to offer. The Pistons need to recoup the pick that they lost in the Isaiah Stewart trade, as the protections that are on it are stopping them from having a 1st-round pick to add to a potential trade for a star.

Bogdanovic will be 34-years-old at the beginning of next season and there is no guarantee that he’ll be as good or as healthy as he gets older. Players often dip quickly, just ask Kemba Walker, who went from All-Star to afterthought in the span of a season. If Bogdanovic were to get injured or decline in production, he’d have virtually no value on the trade market and the Pistons risk being stuck with an aging player who really can’t help them.

For the Pistons to have sustainable success, they need to have some picks in the pipeline that they can use in trades or potentially to draft another star. If the Lakers are willing to give up a future unprotected first, the Pistons would almost have to do it, as LA could very well be terrible by 2027.

Ask the Pelicans how that is working out for them, as they are the best team in the Western Conference right now and will likely be choosing in the lottery anyway as they did last season, courtesy of the Lakers.

It may seem like a long time to wait, but when the Pistons are a playoff team in 2027 and still get to add a top-10 pick, no one will be complaining about losing a player who is no longer in the league.

I really think it’s a tough call, but one that Troy Weaver needs to get right. Trade Bogdanovic too early and you are setting your team up to be bad for another season. Sell him too late and you may lose out on a chance at sustainable success.