The Utah Jazz are starting over.
After trading away Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell this offseason, the team is now in the midst of a major rebuild, and there is a lot of work ahead for Utah.
Like most rebuilds, the development of young talent figures to be the top priority for the Jazz for the foreseeable future, so fans shouldn’t be surprised if the organization trades away more veterans.
According to a recent report, Bojan Bogdanovic could be the next player that Utah moves.
“There are more moves to come from this team,” NBA insider Michael Scotto reported. “A lot of executives around the league are expecting Bojan Bogdanovic to be the next guy for the Jazz to get moved. They (rival executives) are keeping tabs on guys like Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley, but Bogdanovic is the next domino that most people think is going to fall for Utah.”
It sounds like Bogdanovic’s days with the Jazz may be numbered.
A Valuable Trade Chip
If the Jazz do end up trading Bogdanovic, it’s probably safe to assume that they’ll net a solid return.
The 33-year-old has what it takes to help a contending squad, and based on reports, it seems like there’s plenty of interest in him from teams around the league.
Last season, he averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.
His 3-point shooting is a major weapon.
Over the past five seasons, he has knocked down an impressive 40.3 percent of his shots from deep.
The veteran also has a lot of playoff experience (47 games across six different postseasons), so that’s another thing he can bring to the table for a contending team.
It’s worth noting that Bogdanovic is only under contract for the 2022-23 season, so the sooner the Jazz deal him, the more likely they are to get a handsome return.
At the end of the day, any team that trades for him would presumably rather have him around for the entire 2022-23 campaign than just part of it.
No Shortage Of Interest
Earlier this month, John Gambadoro named the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks as teams to keep an eye on in the Bogdanovic sweepstakes.
Phoenix being good does work against them in competing for players as their 1st-round pick(s) are not expected to be as good as others. In the case of Bojan Bogdanovic, the Suns, Lakers, Mavs & Knicks all have interest with draft picks & expiring contracts the key to a deal.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) September 8, 2022
All four of those teams have playoff aspirations this season, and they could all use Bogdanovic in some capacity.
More recently, NBA insider Brian Windhorst offered some intel on the market for the forward.
Windhorst says he would not be surprised to see the Suns make an offer for Bojan Bogdanovic. Says Bojan is garnering interest from several teams. https://t.co/jR7YpDnOO7
— David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) September 19, 2022
“It would not surprise me if the Suns get involved in the negotiations for Bojan Bogdanovic from the Utah Jazz, who is available on the market right now,” Windhorst said. “Several teams are bidding for him.”
While the majority of the NBA’s offseason drama appears to be over, there are clearly still some storylines to keep an eye on, including the rumors surrounding Bogdanovic and Utah’s other veterans.
Only time will tell if Bogdanovic is with the Jazz when the season begins.
Even if he is, he could still find himself in a new uniform before the 2023 trade deadline comes and goes.
