Report: Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans interested in Bojan Bogdanovic

Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic is garnering plenty of interest from other NBA teams, with a new report indicating that the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans are also interested in acquiring him.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer noted the interest of the Raptors and Pelicans during his “Please Don’t Aggregate This” podcast. The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns were previously linked to Bogdanovic.

“Toronto has been pretty consistently mentioned there,” Fischer said. “The Pelicans I’ve now heard as well are a team that’s been on him. Phoenix, all in addition to the Lakers. There’s got to be more too, but those are the four teams I’ve heard from multiple people that I know.”

The 33-year-old Bogdanovic has one year remaining on his deal with the Jazz, who are currently in the process of a major rebuilding effort. Bogdanovic would offer a team a veteran who can shoot the ball well, even if that might only be for one year.

In the case of the Raptors and Pelicans, the two teams are continuing to develop their rosters in an effort to take a major step forward this season.

The Raptors struggled through a 27-45 campaign in the 2020-21 season, largely due to injuries. However, they also had to deal with the unique situation of playing their home games in Florida due to COVID-19 restrictions in Canada.

Last season, the Raptors returned to play their games in Toronto and bounced back with a 48-34 record. That promising uptick helps explain their interest in a quality veteran like Bogdanovic.

The Pelicans reached the postseason last year after three seasons away from the playoffs. They have plenty of future draft capital that could possibly entice the Jazz.

One reason why the Raptors and Pelicans might express reluctance in going forward with any trade talks stems from the Jazz’s alleged asking price.

The Jazz are reportedly seeking a first-round pick for Bogdanovic. That might turn out to be a steep price for a player who may sign with another team next year.

Still, a team might very well be willing to give up that pick, given the apparent competition for Bogdanovic. That group also apparently includes the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks.

In the case of the Suns, they reached the 2021 NBA Finals and fell in the second round of the playoffs this season. Adding a veteran like Bogdanovic could help them get over the hump.

Meanwhile, the Lakers failed to even reach the postseason in the 2021-22 campaign after preseason talk of possibly returning to the Finals. That steep fall was due to key injuries to Anthony Davis and LeBron James as well as struggles to efficiently integrate Russell Westbrook into the starting lineup.