The Utah Jazz traded Bojan Bogdanovic to the Detroit Pistons but why?
In a curious deal, both the Jazz and the Pistons have show a rather shrewd business acumen in the market.
The Jazz appear to be continuing with the roster clear-out. On the other hand, one has to wonder whether they allowed the Pistons to get away with too much on this one.
Jazz set to send Bojan Bogdanovic to Pistons
At this point, it should come as no surprise that the Jazz are offloading resources once again. This time, it’s forward Bojan Bogdanovic who will be on his way as he’s set to be traded to the Detroit Pistons for big man Kelly Olynyk and guard Saben Lee in a deal that will see no Draft picks involved. the deal. It has to be said, that this is a win for Detroit. Whether this is the final move they make or not, the reality is that they have now successfully restructured their roster.
The Jazz on the other hand, will likely be left with a bitter taste in the mouth. While it’s true, that Bogdanovic’s $19.3 million salary would likely have cause some headaches, the reality is that he’s the kind of player that rounds out a championship winning team’s roster. That’s all to say, that its bizarre to say the least that Utah didn’t agitate for any form of Draft compensation. Still, one could argue that they got a whole lot of it between the shifting of Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Royce O’Neale. Regardless, this is where we’re at.
What do the Pistons get with Bojan Bogdanovic?
Here’s the thing, Bogdanovic is the kind of the player that can be as productive with the ball as without it. One has to imagine that the likes of Cade Cunningham will be excited about the team’s prospects now that the 33-year-old has joined it. Indeed, Bogdanovic will undoubtedly provide Cunningham with more space to operate when they’re on the court together, as well as holding the fort when Cunningham is off of it. That’s without mentioning players like Saddiq Bey, who will benefit for sure.
Where Bogdanovic’s numbers are concerned, the veteran averaged 18.1 points in 30.1 minutes on 59.9% shooting this season gone. To be frank, he got the job done from just about everywhere on the court and when it came to beyond the arc, he was 40.7% - not bad at all. Defensively speaking, it was him who more often than not was utilized by the Jazz to mark the stars of opposing teams. If we’re honest, this is pretty much a win-win for the Pistons. Detroit has acquired a valuable asset while simultaneously freeing up some space on their clogged roster. Assuming they make no more moves in the market this offseason, then the likes of Jalen Duren, Nerlens Noel, Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III will all be competing for court time.
What about the Jazz’s side of the deal?
The assumption, that Utah signed Olynyk to bring some degree of stability would be a safe one to make. Yes, it’s true that he’s not the same level of player as Bogdanovic, but he has a knack for drawing out other big players to the perimeter which can always be used. Should he manage to maintain fitness, he could well be an asset for the Jazz this coming season. Where Lee is concerned, the jury is still out. Was he just make weight in terms of salary or does he have a role to play in the Jazz set up? At this point all we can do is wait and watch.
What were the Jazz thinking?
It would certainly be easy to compare assets as conclude that the Jazz dropped the ball. Yet, we have to consider that both teams had very different needs. The Jazz specifically, were able to cut $5 million off their luxury tax and in turn offer more wiggle room to the front office. Even more importantly, they were able to acquire something they didn’t have before, a big man. With the apparent missing piece now in place, expect Olynyk to be heavily used as a starter when the next season tips off.