How The Bogdanovic Trade Affects The Pistons

The Pistons are going to look very, very different in the 2022-23 season.

Just when the NBA world thought the upstart Pistons had calmed down leading up to training camp, “Trader Troy Weaver” delivers another move to marvel about. On Thursday morning, Detroit completed a trade with the Utah Jazz to receive Bojan Bogdanovic for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee. It was a surprising move that hadn’t been rumored until right before the deal was completed to give the Pistons someone that most executives in the league regarded as a “win-now” type of player for a contending team.

It begs the question of why Pistons leadership would want an experienced playoff veteran on a team full of players in their second or third years in the league? We’ll examine the move and what it means for the Pistons upcoming season and future beyond the 2022-23 year:

Bogdanovic brings the winning experience Detroit lacks

First and foremost, it’s important to understand the player Detroit just traded for. Since being drafted 31st overall in 2011 by the Miami Heat, Bogdanovic has proved to be a consistent contributor for some of the better teams in the league.

Throughout his eight seasons in the league (didn’t appear in an NBA game until 2014 since he was a “draft-and-stash” player) Bogdanovic has been a part of seven playoff teams. He has averaged a career 15 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, off of 39.2% three-point shooting. His stat line has consistently been on the rise with every team he has joined. After starting off with the Brooklyn Nets, he was traded to the Wizards where he played in two playoff series and then headed to Indiana on a 2-year, $21 million deal. Bogdanovic began to hit his stride with the Pacers, leading him to get the 4-year $73 million contract with Utah that he is currently in the last year of.

In his three years with the Jazz he started in every game he appeared in averaging 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game off of 39.7% three-point shooting. He played in all of Utah’s playoff series the last two years, missing the 2020 bubble playoffs due to wrist surgery. Winning experience like that can be hard to come by and the 33-year old will be bringing that to one of the youngest teams in the NBA.

Bogdanovic's fit in Detroit

One of my first reactions to this trade was that Cade Cunningham’s assist numbers have to be on the rise. Fans have been clamoring for the Pistons to surround Cunningham with more shooting, and Troy Weaver did just that. Bogdanovic has consistently been one of the best shooters in the league the past few years. Anytime a team can acquire a player shooting around a 40% clip from three-point range, the coaches have to be happy.

Bogdanovic will space the floor in Detroit, making the offense even more versatile than it already was after the addition of Jaden Ivey. By having him likely at the four lined up with Saddiq Bey at the three, opponents will have to respect the shooting of Detroit, leaving driving lanes wide open for Cade and Ivey. Keep in mind, this was a Pistons team that finished second to last in the league for three-point shooting last year. Bogdanovic will not only help with that stat, but also help Cunningham convert on more assists and free up space for him to attack.

How the trade affects the rotation

While Dwane Casey could have other ideas on tap for his new addition, it should be assumed that Bogdanovic will immediately slot into the starting lineup. It’s unlikely Detroit trades for a player who started every game he played in for a playoff team last year to have him sit on the bench. Especially when that player seems to have such a seamless fit alongside Detroit’s young stars.

The Pistons had questions at the four and five positions and this move seems to clear those up. Bogdanovic spent a lot of time at the power forward position in Utah and likely will continue at the four in Detroit. The rest of the starting lineup shouldn’t be surprising with Cunningham at point guard, the rookie Ivey at the two from day one, Bey at small forward and Isaiah Stewart the five, at least for the start of the season.

The arrival of Bogdanovic likely spells the end to the theories of Isaiah Livers starting, although it should be noted that it’s not a guarantee Ivey starts on opening night. He will have to battle it out for that role as Casey has always had his young players do.

Another exciting aspect for this young team is the depth that they seem to now have. The Pistons have at least two or three players at each position that have had decent amounts of playing time either for Detroit or other teams the past couple seasons. Between Killian Hayes, Cory Joseph, Hamidou Diallo and Alec Burks, Casey has a lot to work with at the guard positions. At the forward and center positions, the Pistons have Livers, Marvin Bagley, Nerlens Noel and Jalen Duren to pick from the bench.

Versatility and flexibility — that’s what Bogdanovic brings to Detroit. Weaver flipped two players likely to receive few minutes on this season’s roster into an immediate impact player whose expiring contract won’t affect the Piston’s cap flexibility for next summer and beyond. It’s an exciting time to be a Pistons fan just two weeks until the start of the preseason.