Recent Detroit Pistons Trade Piece Among Top Playoff Bench Scorers

A former Detroit Pistons veteran is thriving in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Feb 26, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) looks to pass / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

At the trade deadline this year, the Detroit Pistons decided to part ways with an array of players. Months later, one of these departures is thriving in a key role for an Eastern Conference contender.

Arguably the biggest move the Pistons made at the deadline was sending veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the New York Knicks. In return, they received a package centered around young wing Quentin Grimes.

Since joining the Knicks, Bogdanovic has become a key piece off the bench for the Knicks. In the 29 games following the move, he averaged 10.4 PPG while shooting 37% from beyond the arc. Now in the postseason, Bogdanovic is one of the top reserve scorers in the league.

Following a chaotic win in Game 2 over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks held a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Through the first two matchups, Bogdanovic was among the top second-unit scorers in the postseason with 19 points. His teammate Miles McBride led all reserve players with 30.

Bench points this playoffs:

30 — Deuce McBride
28 — Nickeil Alexander-Walker
22 — Delon Wright
22 — Mo Wagner
20 — Russell Westrook
19 — Bojan Bogdanovic
18 — Sam Hauser
17 — Lakers
17 — 76ers pic.twitter.com/ItTnUiIlXy

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 25, 2024

Bogdanovic’s hot start cooled down in Game 3 on the road Thursday night. Checking in for 13 minutes, he scored just five points in the Knicks’ first loss of the playoffs.

Most of Bodanovic’s points came in Game 1, when he knocked down three threes en route to finishing with 13 points. He followed that up in Game 2 with six points in 12 minutes of action.

The Pistons acquired Bogdanovic from the Utah Jazz during the 2022 offseason. He’d play one full season with the franchise, where he averaged a career-high 21.6 PPG in 2023. Before being traded to the Knicks, the veteran forward played in 28 games for Detroit. In that time, Bogdanovic averaged 20.2 PPG while shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc.