3 Bojan Bogdanovic trade partners that make sense for Pistons, 2 that don't
The Detroit Pistons are 3-30, so it's not surprising that fans have already turned to possible trades in an effort to dream of a future when Detroit isn't the worst team in the league.
The Pistons put a slight damper on those hopes by announcing they had no intention of trading Bojan Bogdanovic, who is one of their own real trade assets.
This could all be posturing, but it hasn't been in the past, as the Pistons resisted the urge to trade him last season even though they should have.
They keep claiming they want to win games and that Bogdanovic will help that cause. Cade Cunningham has been better with Bojan out there, but it hasn't led to any winning.
There's also the fact that the Pistons are hampered from making a big trade because they can't move their 2024 pick until the day of the draft or until they get another one.
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I understand the resistance to trading one of the team's only good players, but the Pistons are so far into the abyss right now that it's going to take much more than Bogdanovic to drag them out.
They need a full reset around the core, which would start by getting a 2024 pick or young player (or both) for Bogdanovic.
Even though the Pistons say they aren't going to trade Bogdanovic, they will if the price is right. Here are three teams that make sense as trade partners (for the Pistons) and two that do not.
Bojan Bogdanovic to the New Orleans Pelicans: Makes sense
The New Orleans Pelicans are near the bottom of the league in 3-point shooting in terms of 3-pointers made per game. They are just 25th in the NBA and could use another high-volume sniper to put around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
They also have extra first-round picks in 2024 to go along with young players and expiring contracts they could use to make the money work. The sticking point here is that it would be hard to make the contracts align without including Larry Nance Jr, which would leave NOLA dangerously thin at center behind Jonas Valanciunas.
It may take a third team, but New Orleans has the need and the assets Detroit would be seeking.