The start of training camp in the NBA may be nearing, but it doesn’t mean teams won’t make one final move to finalize their rosters.
The New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks are two teams that may not be locks to make the playoffs, and therefore, they would love to acquire one more piece that would make sure they will participate in the postseason next spring.
Meanwhile, after trading Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz are reportedly looking to get rid of a couple more veterans by the end of the summer and go all-in on their rebuilding project.
That would mean jettisoning men such as Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Rumor has it both the Knicks and Mavs are interested in trading for Bogdanovic.
Phoenix being good does work against them in competing for players as their 1st-round pick(s) are not expected to be as good as others. In the case of Bojan Bogdanovic, the Suns, Lakers, Mavs & Knicks all have interest with draft picks & expiring contracts the key to a deal.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) September 8, 2022
He is the type of player who could pull either of those teams up one rung.
A 3-Point Sniper
The 33-year-old, 6-foot-7 forward is one of those players opposing defenses never want to leave open.
He has a career accuracy of 39.2 percent from 3-point range, and over the last five seasons he has made 40.3 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Bogdanovic has done so on a high volume of 3-point shots.
He has averaged 5.2 such attempts throughout his career, and that number has increased to 6.8 in the past three years.
Basketball analysts talk about the “gravity” that adept offensive players attract, especially those who are deadly from the outside, and how it helps their teams have more room to maneuver, especially in the paint.
Bogdanovic is one player who can attract that gravity to make life easier for others.
bojan bogdanovic is exactly what the jazz needed pic.twitter.com/uuRRBiVrjX
— taylor griffin (@griffdunk) November 7, 2019
Overall, he is also a very capable scorer, rather than someone who is merely a spot-up or stand-still 3-point shooter.
He put up 18.1 points per game last season while shooting a solid 45.5 percent overall from the field for the Jazz.
Bogdanovic also has plenty of playoff experience, as he has gone to the postseason six times and has gotten past the first round twice.
Overall, in the playoffs, he has averaged 13.7 points a game while hitting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc on 5.4 attempts per contest.
How Bogdanovic Can Help The Knicks
The Knicks ranked just 22nd in offensive rating and 26th in points per game last year, and they could really use some more offensive punch.
It’s one reason they went out and got Jalen Brunson, formally of the Mavs, but more help will be needed in order to secure a playoff spot.
Adding Bogdanovic could also potentially help Julius Randle, as it would give New York one more reliable shooter to surround him with in order to keep the paint open for him.
How Bogdanovic Can Help The Mavs
Having lost Brunson, who played very well for them in the playoffs, the Mavs need more offensive punch, just as the Knicks do.
But it manifests in a slightly different way for Dallas, as it needs more players who can take the shot-creating load off Luka Doncic.
New acquisition Christian Wood should help in that area, but there are those who question if he’s simply someone who put up good stats on a bad team and cannot duplicate them on a team that is competing for a playoff spot.
Bogdanovic would give the Mavs another proven scorer who could help them improve on finishing 24th in the NBA in points per game last season.
He could also help prevent frustration from seeping into Doncic psyche, as he is a very competitive player who hates to lose and can be a bit prickly when things don’t go his way.
NEXT: Numbers Prove Chris Paul Is Still Dominant For His Team