The Pistons continue to say they extended Bojan Bogdanovic because they want to keep him, both for his skill set and ability to mentor a young team. You can count on one hand the number of people around the league who fully believe that.
The front offices believe that the Pistons are open to a deal but want to keep the price high for Bogdanovic — and if no team meets it, they will keep him. Jake Fischer at Yahoo Sports reported essentially that on Thursday.
Maybe that price comes down a little, but not a lot.
Bogdanovic averages 21.1 points a game and while shooting 42.2% from 3-point range, he can be a secondary shot creator on offense, and has been a solid defender in the past (now he’s more of a passable defender within a team concept). He would help many teams, but enough to give up what the Pistons are asking? The Lakers are not looking to make a big move and give up a first, so count them out. Phoenix would love to give up Jae Crowder in a deal, but will Robert Sarver sign off on bringing in extra salary? Finding a deal that works for the Pistons and their trade partners is hard.
It’s early, there are a lot of negotiations to go, but as of today the Pistons seem set on their asking price.
