Bucks, Cavs Under Bojan Bogdanovic Trade Suitors

We’re about a month away from the NBA trade deadline, which means teams are starting preparations for deals across the league. While some teams are still undecided about which direction to take their franchise in the coming weeks, some have already decided what to do.

One of the teams that already knows their plan is the Detroit Pistons. While they entered the season with some optimism about pushing for the NBA Play-In Tournament, they are once again among the worst teams in the NBA. Detroit will almost certainly be a seller before the deadline as they are already 7.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls in 10th place.

There are a few veterans on the roster that Detroit is open to trade in Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel, who were acquired from the New York Knicks with a paycheck during the off-season. However, the most coveted player on their roster is Bojan Bogdanovic.

The sharpshooting forward was a surprise addition from the Pistons pre-season, as they bought him from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee. He signed an extension with the Pistons shortly after the deal was announced and interest in him hasn’t waned.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks & Cleveland Cavaliers Updates

The Cleveland Cavaliers have emerged as a potential landing spot for Bogdanovic, but the logistics are hard to fathom. They may not be able to meet the sky-high asking price Detroit has set. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sportare the Pistons looking for at least one first-rounder in combination with a young player with upside or additional draft capital.

“Is one of them the talented young player Detroit is looking to partially fire Bojan Bogdanovic? The Cavaliers are indeed a Bogdanovic suitor, sources said, but it will be rather difficult, if not impossible, for Cleveland to get Detroit’s sky-high asking price for the experienced sharpshooter.”

Fischer also named the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers as other teams, besides the Cavaliers, interested in a possible trade for Bogdanovic.

“Right now, the Pistons are looking for at least one first-rounder and either a young player with upside or additional draft capital, sources said, plus Cleveland has company in Dallas, Phoenix and the Lakers, among other teams chasing Bogdanovic. ”

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks & Cleveland Cavaliers Updates

The Cavaliers should do everything they can to acquire Bogdanovic, as it could keep him from landing with their opponents. Their Central Division rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks, are also reportedly close to the high-scoring forward.

“Another Potential Target for Milwaukee: Bojan Bogdanovic of the Detroit Pistons,” wrote Action Network’s Matt Moore. “There’s not much sense that the Pistons are eager to get their best player in Cade Cunningham, but as the team moves more into draft positioning this season, Milwaukee will see if the Pistons make Bogdanovic available.”

It feels like it’s only a matter of time before the Pistons seriously consider trading Bogdanovic. Compiling more future assets seems to be their best course of action, as the postseason doesn’t seem to be in their future. With Cade Cunningham sidelined for the remainder of the season, the Pistons’ closure and their focus on the 2023/24 season appear to be on the horizon.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks & Cleveland Cavaliers Updates

As for the Cavaliers and Bucks, they will have to come up with competitive offers to present to Detroit. They are far from the only teams showing interest in Bogdanovic, as the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers have shown varying degrees of interest.