Earlier today, ESPNNewYork’s Mike Mazzeo tweeted that the 4-13 Nets were “gauging trade interest” in forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who has struggled through the beginning of the season.
Sources tell ESPN that the Nets have been gauging trade interest in Bojan Bogdanovic. https://t.co/QBooYvl4xF
— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzESPN) December 1, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsHowever, awhile later, NetsDaily — which has proven to become about as reliable a Nets source as there is — said, per a source, that there is no truth to the report that Bojan is being considered in a potential trade by the Brooklyn front office.
League source responding to report that Nets “gauging interest” in @44Bojan says “NO truth at all”
— NetsDaily.com (@NetsDaily) December 1, 2015
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So there are obviously differing reports on whether the Nets are looking to move their sophomore shooter, who is in the second year of his original three-year contract. Bojan has struggled mightily so far this season, averaging 8.4 points on .423/.260/.700 shooting with 2.9 rebounds per game.
When he was signed by the Nets prior to the 2014-15 campaign, Bogdanovic was a 25-year-old sharpshooter whose rights had been acquired by then-New Jersey in a draft day trade in 2011 from the Timberwolves via the Miami Heat. He was never considered an incredible athlete or a great defender, as his best attribute was shooting, especially from three-point range in the European style.
As a rookie, Bojan showed flashes of greatness, but was just a bit above league average, according to Basketball-Reference’s VORP metric. He made over 35 percent of his threes and 45 percent of his field goal attempts with a solid offensive rating of 106. However, he was not too effective on defense, posting an unsightly -1.9 adjusted defensive plus/minus.
His second NBA season hasn’t fared much better, as his offensive rating has plummeted 16 points with the defensive numbers remaining underwhelming. Through 17 games, his shot just doesn’t look as good as it did last year, and it’s clear that it has taken a toll on his confidence. But, should the Nets try to cut him loose before they’re on the hook for the final one and a half years of his contract?
In one word, no. I personally think NetsDaily’s report about Bojan not being on the trade market is the more accurate one, because it doesn’t make much sense for a rebuilding team to give up on a young shooter with promise who isn’t making much money. Sure, Bojan has had his struggles on the court in his sophomore year but shooters slump, and after they’re done slumping, they usually start making the shots they’re capable of making.
Plus, the Nets probably couldn’t expect to get much more than an ancillary player, second round pick and/or some cash considerations for Bojan in a deal anyway. Even for a team in as dire straits as the Nets are in, such a trade would be ill-advised. Bojan’s ceiling is still high and missing out on a solid talent who blossoms elsewhere is the last thing this front office needs right now.
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