Bojan Bogdanovic Pistons Trade Review
The Detroit Pistons made a trade Thursday sending center Kelly Olynyk and point guard Saben Lee to the Utah Jazz in exchange for small forward Bojan Bogdanovic. Not a flashy trade but definitely not one that was expected either.
Bojan Bogdanovic is a sharp shooting veteran that can have an instant impact on this Pistons team. Shooting just under 40% from three, Bogdanovic becomes one of the Pistons best shooters immediately on a team that ranked 29th a year ago in that category. With playmakers like Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, the Pistons desperately needed someone that can turn those passes into buckets.
Detroit will say farewell to Lee and Olynyk, but are likely a more dangerous team offensively as a result. Saben Lee hasn’t developed like the front office hoped since becoming a second round pick two years ago. Coming into the NBA with fellow point guard and 7th overall pick Killian Hayes, both have struggled to adjust to the NBA so far, so it was likely that one of the two could be on the move. Lee has been a ball dominant guard that many fans grew frustrated with but he had his moments of success as well.
Olynyk’s departure will be felt in this trade for Detroit. He suited up for 40 games with the Pistons before missing time due to injuries. The Canadian big man brought a scoring touch to the paint in Motown and was clutch when he needed to be such as the game winner against Charlotte. However, the center position was getting crowded on the Pistons bench with not only Isaiah Stewart, but also the addition of rookie lottery pick Jalen Duren. Getting rid of Olynyk creates more time for those two to develop and keeps the young core intact in Detroit.
Bogdanovic has only one year left on his contract as he will make $19.55 million for this season before becoming a UFA. That’s more expensive than Olynyk and Lee, with Olynyk making north of $12 million and Lee making just under $2M per season. However, the Pistons already have a ton of cap space and will have virtually no financial constraints heading into the 2023-2024 season. With that $19 million available for next year, who knows what Troy Weaver could pull off with Detroit as he’ll finally be able to go after whoever he wants via trade or free agency next season.
The deal makes less sense for the Jazz as they previously stated they wanted to trade their players for picks. With the likelihood that a team would have given at least a second round pick for a sharpshooter like Bogdanovic, it’s hard to know what direction they’re heading in or how this benefits them in a clear rebuild situation. The Pistons future looks to be very promising, and Weaver continues to show that he’s slowly becoming one of the best GM’s in the business.
-Robert Martin
Twitter: @Defense_Rob
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