The Detroit Pistons currently have the second-worst record in the NBA, so it makes sense that their best player, Bojan Bogdanovic, is getting mentioned in trade rumors.
Here is a quick rundown of the teams that have been mentioned in Bogdanovic rumors:
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Dallas Mavericks
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
And I am sure there are a few more that I am missing, though the Detroit Pistons have continued to stand behind their statement that they don’t necessarily want to move him and that it will take a “tremendous return” to do so.
Another team was recently added to the list according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (SUBSCRIPTION), who named the Toronto Raptors as a franchise that has called Detroit about the availability of Bogdanovic.
The Raptors have underwhelmed this season and their fans are getting restless as they languish outside of final play-in spot with a 20-26 record after being picked to finish in the top-5 of the Eastern Conference by many before the season.
The Raptors have to decide to either just roll with what they have and see how it turns out, make a blockbuster trade or just tweak their roster to attempt to make a late run at the playoffs.
It doesn’t seem like they need to completely blow things up, but with both Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. possibly entering free agency next season and looking for huge raises, they may be forced to do something before the deadline.
Is there a trade between the Raptors and the Pistons for Bogdanovic? It’s tricky.
Detroit Pistons: Trade of Bojan Bogdanovic to the Toronto Raptors
The Raptors could use some help on both sides of the ball, but especially offensively, where they are just 21st in the league in points and 25th in 3-point shots made per game.
Bojan Bogdanovic could certainly help in those areas, but there are some complications. As I already mentioned, Toronto may decide to just play it out, end up in the lottery and re-tool in the offseason after they take a shot at getting Victor Wembanyama.
It’s hard to see any one move putting them in contention, though when you look at their team on paper you have to wonder how they are this bad. Another complication is that the Raptors don’t really have a matching salary (outside of VanVleet, Trent or OG Anunoby), so would have to send multiple players to the Pistons in exchange for Bogdanovic unless there was a third team involved.
But for the sake of argument, here is a trade that works financially:
In this trade, the Pistons take back three veteran contracts and the Raptors’ 2024 1st-round pick in exchange for Bogdanovic.
This would allow Toronto to add talent without disrupting their core, but would give them all types of financial challenges when it came to re-signing Fred VanVleet and/or Gary Trent Jr. A move like this would almost have to be accompanied by another trade to shed some money.
It would make them better this season, but Bojan is a questionable fit both as a player and financially. This is also a deal that would not likely excite the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: Trade of Bojan Bogdanovic to the Toronto Raptors
If the Detroit Pistons are going to trade Bojan Bogdanovic, they can do better than this.
Young and Jackson would be expiring contracts (Young’s deal is only partially guaranteed next season) and Birch is on a team-friendly deal that pays him just under seven million through next season.
None of these players would be part of the Pistons’ long-term plans, nor help them to improve next season, so this would really just be about the draft pick.
The Raptors have a lot of talent, so it’s very likely they are right back in the playoff mix next season, so that draft pick may end up in the late first round, and the odds of landing an impact player there are low.
There are other teams out there that could offer more in terms of young talent and/or draft picks, so it’s hard to see why the Toronto Raptors even think they have a chance for Bogdanovic given the circumstances.
If it were part of a bigger deal, it would be possible, but a two-team deal with the Pistons and Raptors for Bogdanovic is a long shot to say the least.
As the deadline inches closer, we’ll hear more teams in the hunt for Bogdanovic, so the Detroit Pistons can hold out for a better deal or just keep him if it never materializes.