Bojan Bogdanovic is potentially one of the top players on the trade market, but it sounds increasingly likely that the Pistons will hold onto him, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Scotto reports that ownership and management have told Bogdanovic he’s considered part of the team’s core, and they outlined a plan to him to become more competitive next season.
“Having conversations with the club, (general manager) Troy (Weaver) and the owners, they assured me that we’re going to be great next year,” Bogdanovic said. “We have a lot of cap space to sign great players. We’re going to have a high pick again, so that’s going to help us a lot.
“We have a great young group of guys. When Cade (Cunningham) went down, that kind of hurt us big time. We were thinking that maybe we’d be fighting for the play-in tournament, but when he went down, he was our main guy. All of our offensive strategies were connected to him. When he went down, our season, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs without him.”
It has mostly been a down season for Detroit, which is last in the Eastern Conference and owns the league’s second-worst record at 13-38. The Pistons will have a 14% chance to land a potential franchise player in Victor Wembanyama if they stay in the bottom three, but they’re positioned for significant draft help regardless.
One bright spot has been Bogdanovic, who has emerged as the team’s leading scorer after being acquired from the Jazz in an offseason trade. He’s averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 41.2% from three-point range. Those numbers have increased his trade value, but they also make him more attractive for the Pistons to keep if they’re serious about improving next season.
Bogdanovic signed a two-year extension shortly after arriving in Detroit that gives him team-friendly salaries of $20MM in 2023/24 and $19MM in 2024/25 (the second year features only a small partial guarantee). He hopes his future is with the Pistons, but acknowledges that he won’t know for sure until after February 9.
“I heard the rumors, but I’m trying to stay away from those conversations,” Bogdanovic said. “I don’t even have any social media like Twitter. I don’t read much about that. It’s not in my control. It’s about the franchises. I’m just going to try and stay focused and play as best I can. Then, we’ll see what’s going to happen at the end of the trade deadline.”
The Pistons will continue to be one of the worst NBA franchises.
A trade with the. Lakers. Wouldn’t spare them that fate anyways
Building a championship takes time. Pistons have won championships so maybe take that comment to all the teams with zero championships. There’s plenty…..
Dumb
Who’s Weaver trying to kid? DET’s struggles have nothing to do with strategies or any particular player. The team has openly tanked since he got there, and this year was just one more year of it. Tanking got him an extension; I’m assuming he didn’t get the extension for trying to win games and failing so miserably at it.
He probably got the extension for making the best of the mediocre assets he started out with, creating some cultural stability for a franchise that had been somehow both constantly in flux and also treading water for almost a decade, and making some savvy moves while assembling at least a semblance of a young core. These things usually take some time, but at least Weaver has made it interesting in the meantime.
Ridiculous. Being bad & tanking are different things entirely. Pistons are bad. Pistons lost Cade Cunningham for the entire year so you expected them to do what exactly? Dumbest comment I’ve seen.
Sounds like same smokescreen as before they traded Jerami Grant. if any team steps up with a strong offer (not the multiple 2nd rounders or protected picks that have been reportedly discussed), Weaver will help BB pack his bags.
No point in making a trade with the lakers unless they get 100% of what they want and I say it to all teams as a laker fan
Detroit appeared to be headed in the right direction on paper, and then the season started.
Not a lot to like with the Pistons right now.
Cade Cunningham is a good player, but not a franchise player. Really versatile, but woefully inefficient and inconsistent offensively. Gonna be tough to move him off the ball because his jumper is not good. Need to move him off the ball because he doesn’t elevate anybody else on the floor.
Like Jaden Ivey. Good player. Isaiah Stewart is ok. Jalen Duren is an elite rebounder. Bojan is just ok.
They need a Top 3 pick. Vic, Scoot or Brandon Miller from Alabama. They need a clear franchise guy to go with some good players.
What are you smoking? Cade Cunningham is an elite basketball player. Duren is 18!! He’s an elite rebounder now by age 22 he’s going to be much more than just a rebounder. Pistons have elite young players & in a few years will dominate the league.
Brandon Miller would be a good pick for them
I really hope this is true; if so, there will be alot to like about the Pistons next season…
If they can get Wemby, that’ll definitely put the Pistons back on track, and as a sleeper team to make the play-in…
Wemby, Cade, Ivey, Stewart, Bey, Duren, Bogey, etc..They’d really only be another key vet or two away from really turning their ship around.
Most people will say Detroit is being stupid for not trying to go ahead and trade Bogey for some future picks, but the Pistons already have a solid, young core. Really, all they need to add to their core is another young stud at either the 3 or 4, like Wemby, and then they are going to need to surround their core with a few solid vets like Bogey, so they can help patch some holes and help round out their rotation.
Really like to see Phx use some drat capital to (try to ) get Bojan
They can use Shamet and Crowder for the $ match, have all their picks. Det can re-flip Crowder if not a 3 teamer initially
Phx has been very frugal with their picks but I see no reason not to empty the clip here
Lakers won’t get Turner or Bogie. Lol
Bogdanovic, Noel and Burks for Westbrook, D Jones, M Christie and a 1st and 2nd
Bogdanovic, Noel and livers for Wiseman, j Green and Donte D and cash
If Detroit has some cojones they’d make a legit move on an impact player for next year. Siakam is available, Miles Bridges (won’t win any fans w that one). Use Noel, Burks, Joseph, Diablo,
Lot’s of haters here. They will get a top 3 pick & add a healthy Cade Cunningham & a few FA’s & trades. They will be vastly better next year. Firing the coach after the season is the next step to make a run at a playoff spot next season.