Bogdan

Bogdanović

Sheppard is available after missing Houston’s last two games. His return may mean Bogdan Bogdanović plays fewer minutes after logging 19 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Thunder.

Sheppard has missed Houston’s last two games, forcing the Rockets to go a little deeper into their bench. Bogdan Bogdanović played 19 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s win over the Thunder, and he may take on a similar workload if Sheppard can’t play.

Smart is good to go after missing Houston’s last three games. His return likely means fewer minutes for Bogdan Bogdanović, who played between 15 and 20 minutes in the three games Smart missed.

Smart has missed Houston’s last three games with a forearm injury, giving Bogdan Bogdanović more playing time. Look for Bogie’s minutes to decrease if Smart is cleared to play.

Fortunately for Houston, Fred VanVleet isn’t listed on the injury report. FVV should handle the bulk of the backcourt minutes, and Bogdan Bogdanović should see a significant boost in playing time.

Smart is trending in the right direction to return from a two-game absence. If Smart returns, Bogdan Bogdanović would likely see a reduction in playing time.

Smart did not play in Saturday’s win over the Hawks, and his absence led to Bogdan Bogdanović getting more minutes. The Rockets also missed Fred VanVleet that game, so Bogdanović’s minutes may decrease regardless of Smart’s availability.

Bogdanović might want to save some for the regular season. The 34-year-old shooting guard came off the bench, played 16 minutes and dropped 15 points on five made three-pointers. Bogdanović should provide valuable floor spacing and outside shooting when he plays, but isn’t expected to be much of a factor in fantasy basketball this season.

The deal to bring in Bogdanovic gives Houston more floor spacing around its top offensive players. The veteran wing dealt with injuries throughout the 2025-26 season with the Clippers, which left him on the outskirts of the nightly rotation for chunks of the season and decreased overall production. However, he’s a proven shooter and secondary ball handler, which should be beneficial for Houston if he can round back into form. He is not expected to have much fantasy value during the 2026-27 season.

Sunday’s game was the second for Bogdanović since March 23, and he had one of his most productive outings of the season. The veteran wing shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc against the Warriors, matching his season-high in that category. And the 17 points were the most in a game for Bogdanović since November 14, when he scored a season-high 21 in a double-overtime win over the Mavericks. Given what the Clippers’ rotation has looked like on most nights since the All-Star break, there may not be many opportunities available to Bogdanović in Wednesday’s Play-In Tournament game against the Warriors.