Bojan Bogdanovic is in the midst of a fantastic first season with the Detroit Pistons.
He has provided the sort of shooting, smart play and veteran leadership the front office hoped for when they acquired him.
That said, Cade Cunningham’s season-ending surgery this week signaled that this is going to be another lost year for the Pistons. As such, it makes sense to see if there is an older team who could utilize Bogdanovic better.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked frequently to Bogdanovic dating back to his time with the Utah Jazz, but there is a problem.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Lakers and Pistons are currently on very different pages when it comes to Bogdanovic.
“Sources say that the Lakers recently offered a trade package to Detroit for Bogdanović centered around one future first-round pick with unspecified draft protections attached. The Pistons have to date declined those overtures, sources add, insisting on a fully unprotected future first from the Lakers to seriously entertain a Bogdanović swap.”
The Lakers need three-point shooting and depth. A deal with Detroit for Bogdanovic would, on paper, solve that problem for them.
But L.A. is understandably wary of trading away their lone remaining first round draft picks in this decade. Particularly in light of the fact that it doesn’t feel like Bogdanovic is the missing piece that will turn them into a title contender.
Last week ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski broke down the Lakers’ latest trade rumors quite clearly.
Options are limited.
There is Bogdanovic. There’s whatever scraps the front office can get for the two guys they want to move before Russell Westbrook. And there’s the guy LeBron James wants.
But that’s it.
Those are the choices.
The 2022-23 NBA season is quickly slipping away from the Lakers.
This is the video that got Mandy Rose released by the WWE. https://t.co/ArDyealYxr
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 14, 2022
Will they be able to get a handle on it before it’s too late?
Or is another year of not even making the playoffs in the cards?
One way or another, an answer will emerge soon enough.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
