Pistons: Proposed trade of Bojan Bogdanovic to Heat has pros and cons

Detroit Pistons: Trade of Bojan Bogdanovic to the Miami Heat

Let’s break down all of the things that would have to go right for this trade to work out for the Detroit Pistons:

• Nikola Jovic has to become a decent rotation player
• The 22nd (roughly) pick in the 2023 has to become a decent rotation player
• Duncan Robinson has to not be washed

Those are three long shots, as late-first round picks are a complete crapshoot and the Pistons would be relying on two of them and Robinson to be more valuable in the long run than Bojan Bogdanovic.

Sure, it’s possible that Jovic becomes a star, or that the Pistons luck out in the draft and find a very good player with the 22nd pick. But the odds of finding that player are low, as I have previously discussed, even with Troy Weaver’s eye for talent.

Robinson is a one-trick pony who doesn’t even do that one thing well anymore. This would be adding one of the league’s worst defenders to a team that is about to have the worst defense in franchise history.

Even if Robinson recovered and was decent, he’s not going to replace Bogdanovic, which means the Pistons are likely to be right back in this position next season with an even younger team that will probably be worse.

It would be a tough sell to fans who are growing impatient with this so-called restoration and want to see some results.

There is some promise to this type of trade, but also a lot of “ifs,” probably too many if the Detroit Pistons really want to achieve their stated goal of being competitive next season. So if a deal like this is the best thing on the table, they are probably better off just keeping Bogdanovic.