The Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks could swap draft picks in a trade that involves Bojan Bogdanovic and Tim Hardaway Jr., according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
“Some trade scenarios could be in play for the Pistons with the No. 31 pick as well, for example, packaging Bojan Bogdanovic for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the No. 10 pick, sources tell ESPN,” Givony wrote.
The No. 10 overall pick may be Dallas’ best trade asset to improve the team ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The Pistons traded for Bogdanovic prior to the 2022-23 season, and the veteran forward produced at a high level for the team. He averaged 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Detroit also extended Bogdanovic’s contract through the 2023-24 season, and he has a partially guaranteed deal for the 2024-25 campaign.
That allows the team to potentially move the veteran in order to get more assets that fit the timeline of the current team that is built around Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. The Pistons failed to compete last season in the Eastern Conference with Cunningham hurt, leading to them having some solid draft picks again in the 2023 NBA Draft.
While the team’s first-round pick fell to No. 5 in the lottery, the Pistons could have two top-10 picks if they make this deal with the Mavericks.
Dallas is clearly looking for players that can help it win now with Luka Doncic on the roster. If the team brings back guard Kyrie Irving, Bogdanovic could be a great option as a wing scorer for the Mavericks.
While Hardaway is younger than Bogdanovic, he wasn’t nearly as efficient of a scorer in the 2022-23 season. The former first-round pick averaged 14.4 points per game while shooting 40.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
It’s possible that Detroit could also try to make a move like this to have more assets to potentially move up from the No. 5 spot in the draft.
With Detroit trying to build for the future, moving a veteran like Bogdanovic makes a lot of sense for both sides, as it would allow him to be on a contender and the Pistons to get more players that can surround Cunningham and Ivey for years to come.
