For the last two seasons, the biggest question hanging over the Detroit Pistons, other than "will they ever win another game?" has been whether the team would trade veteran sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic.
Most thought the Pistons would trade him last season, as they were tanking anyway and he had value that wasn't ever likely to be higher considering he was having a career year.
The Pistons stood their ground, didn't get a trade package they liked and decided to keep Bogdanovic, who they thought would help them win games and be competitive this season. I agreed with the decision at the time, but that was before I knew Troy Weaver was going to completely crap the bed last offseason and essentially throw $30 million into Lake Michigan. Had the Pistons made other complemenatary moves, keeping Bogdanovic made some sense.
This topic was brought up again recently after James Edwards III of The Athletic (SUBSCRIPTION) reported that the Pistons had no immediate plans to trade Bogdanovic.
"I’ve heard and continue to hear is that there are no plans to trade Bogdanović unless Detroit gets an offer it can’t refuse. The Pistons want to be good and don’t want to trade good players, even if Bogdanović’s role is reduced to a bench scorer next season."
There are two big factors when it comes to trading Bojan Bogdanovic.
Bojan Bogdanovic, the losing streak and Cade Cunningham
The Pistons are 0-12 since Bogdanovic returned, so it's hard to argue that he is helping them win games. This isn't just on him, of course, but his shooting efficiency has dipped and he has lost another step on defense.
Bogey should probably be a lightning-in-a-bottle bench scorer at this point in his career, as his defense makes him a tough play in certain matchups.
Even though he hasn't helped the Detroit Pistons to a win yet, Bogdanovic has helped Cade Cunningham, who has been much better since he returned, especially lately.
In the 12 games with Bogdanovic, Cade has averaged 24.8 points, 7.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the floor and reducing his turnovers to 3.2 per game.
In the last six, Cade has been spectacular, averaging 31.7 points, 7.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds on 55 percent from the field and 46 percent from long range.
There is no doubt that Cunningham has benefitted from the space Bogdanovic creates even if the team hasn't gotten a win.
So does that mean they should keep him? There is an argument for and against trading Bojan Bogdanovic this season.
The argument for keeping Bojan Bogdanovic
Fans went nuts yesterday when they saw the quote about Bogdanovic, as many thought they should have traded him last season and that it is lunacy not to explore trading your best trade asset in a season that is already over.
The team has argued that they "don't want to trade good players" and that makes sense for a team that has precious few of them. Bogey has his flaws, but he's a consistent pro and the Pistons lack those.
If they were to add several more talented players and Bogdanovic was pushed to the bench, he would be a valuable piece for a competitive team.
There's also the fact that they are not going to get much for him. How is this team going to benefit from a late first-round pick in a weak draft? Is the player they take there ever going to be as good as Bogdanovic is now? Probably not.
If this team ever wants to make positive steps forward, they have to have players who can play the game now, not five years from now. They can't keep subtracting veterans and adding teenagers and think anything is going to change.
But there is a strong argument that trading Bogdanovic is the only way change is going to happen.
Why the Detroit Pistons should trade Bojan Bogdanovic
Yes, it's true that a draft pick is not likely to be as impactful as Bogdanovic, who has been one of the league's most consistent shooters over his career.
The 2024 class of free agents isn't deep and they may not find anyone to replace his production.
HOWEVER,
The biggest thing holding the Pistons back from making a big trade is that they are hampered by the draft pick they owe the Knicks, which they cannot trade until after the draft (technically) or until they secure an additional first-round pick.
So even if the Pistons took back just one late first-round pick for Bogdanovic, it would open up a world of possibilities, because it would then allow them to trade their own 2024 pick, which will be in the top five.
Even in this draft, a top-5 pick is a real asset and something the Pistons can potentially package to get an impact player. Would a top-5 pick get them Lauri Markkanen? Trades like that are on the table once they can trade it, but right now the Pistons lack the assets to make a splash because their own pick is in limbo.
Trading Bogdanovic might make them worse in the short term, but it would also potentially unlock bigger trade opportunities.
It would also open up another $20 million in cap space that the Pistons could use to add the depth they currently lack, adding a couple of the role players they desperately need. Two league-average 3-and-D wings would be more valuable than one Bogdanovic.
The team does have an argument, but if they don't trade Bojan Bogdanovic now, his value is just going to keep dipping and they will be hamstrung from making a big trade for impact talent.