Bojan Bogdanovic Rumor: Mavs 'Trade Priority' is Veteran Center
The Dallas Mavericks have had several trade talks with teams over the last month. Some of those talks have yielded tangible results, as the Mavs were able to acquire Grant Williams in a three-way trade with the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs. Others, like draft-night trade talks with the Phoenix Suns for Deandre Ayton and Atlanta Hawks for Clint Capela, never came to fruition.
Another team the Mavs have reportedly spoken with in recent weeks is the Detroit Pistons. Although Dallas is still seeking a starting veteran center, it has had interest in Bojan Bogdanovic for some time now. However, Detroit’s price tag for the 34-year-old forward has kept negotiations with Dallas from progressing.
NBA insider Marc Stein revealed more details on the Mavs and Pistons’ trade talks in his newsletter on Monday.
"Recent trade talks between Detroit and Dallas, I'm told, were sparked by the Pistons' determination to ease a backcourt logjam by trading Killian Hayes and gained little traction,” Stein wrote.
“While the Mavericks are indeed among the teams with a longstanding interest in acquiring Detroit's Bojan Bogdanovic, their trade priority at this point of the offseason is still believed to be an upgrade at center. The Pistons have been seeking no less than a future first-round pick for Bogdanovic for months."
If the Pistons refuse to let up on their asking price for a first-round pick for Bogdanovic, then it would be a safe bet to say he won’t be joining the Mavericks. Although Bogdanovic is still a very good player, Dallas is already limited with future draft assets that can be used in trades, and parting with its 2027 first-round pick for a 34-year-old with two years worth a total of $40 million remaining on his current contract wouldn’t be a smart move.
As Stein notes, the Mavs still likely prefer upgrading their starting center position more than anything else, so we’ll see if they can rekindle any of those trade talks for Capela, Ayton, or another center between now and the start of training camp in September.
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