The NBA trade market has continued to heat up in recent weeks, and right now, it's looking like one of the top names on the market is Detroit Pistons sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic. The Los Angeles Lakers have been labeled the frontrunner for his services, but it looks like they will have some competition in their efforts to acquire him, with the Miami Heat being one other team known to be interested in Bogdanovic.
Even as they have begun to get back to their winning ways after their slow start to the 2022-23 season, things haven't gone as they were expected to for the Heat so far. After making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Heat have crawled out to an 18-17 record in the early going, which is way below where they were expected to be this season.
Still, that somehow currently has the Heat in sixth place in the East, but it's clear their roster needs some serious help if they intend on making another deep playoff run this season. That's why adding a strong scorer like Bogdanovic would be so helpful, so let's take a look at the perfect trade offer the Heat could make in an effort to land him.
Heat get: Bojan Bogdanovic
Pistons get: Duncan Robinson, 2023 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
Throughout his career, Bojan Bogdanovic has always been a strong scorer, and he has showcased that time and again this season on a desolate Pistons squad. Bogdanovic has been their offensive leader with Cade Cunningham out for the rest of the season, and while Detroit isn't winning much, Bogdanovic's skills have been on full display this season.
Through 36 games, Bogdanovic has played some of the best basketball of his career (20.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 47.7 FG%, 40.4 3P%). That's the most points and assists per game Bogdanovic has had at any point of his career, and for a Heat team looking for more offensive help behind Jimmy Butler, it's easy to see why they are interested in swinging a deal for him.
The Heat's offense has never been the best in the league, but they have solid players in Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro leading the way. The problem is that only Butler and Herro can really create shots for themselves, and they don't have a true playmaker to lead the offense. Bogdanovic isn't the purest fit in that sense, but his scoring contributions would be wildly helpful for the Heat.
After losing P.J. Tucker to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, the Heat have been looking for a wing to replace him in their rotation all season long. Caleb Martin has filled in admirably, but it's clear he doesn't offer Miami enough on either side of the ball to truly make a difference for the Heat.
Adding Bogdanovic, who can play both forward spots, would be exactly what Miami needs. They could also move an unwanted player in Duncan Robinson, who has completely flamed out in recent seasons for Miami. Robinson has upside as a sharpshooter, but he's only hitting 33.9 percent of his threes this season, and is a complete defensive liability.
The Pistons are in a position to eat Robinson's salary and take a flier on him to see if he can find his old shooting form again. If he doesn't pan out, no harm done, because they will get a pair of draft picks to aid their rebuilding efforts, and that's really what the Pistons are going to be looking for if they decide to move on from Bogdanovic.
Detroit has made it clear early on that they will be looking for a first-round pick in return for Bogdanovic, which has caused some suitors to second guess whether or not they want to make a move for him. The Heat aren't exactly loaded with draft picks, but they have the assets to make a trade for Bogdanovic if that's what the Pistons are looking for.
Miami would give up their 2023 first-round draft pick and a 2026 second-rounder as an incentive for them to take on Robinson's deal. It may be a bit of an overpay, but this allows the Heat to get out of Robinson's deal, while also adding an impact player who will aid their goal of making a deep playoff run this season. Conversely, that would lower the value of the Heat's first-round pick, so they may actually have to add even more to this deal if they want to outbid their competition.
Bogdanovic's 20 points per game could be precisely what the Heat need to fully open up their offense. Bogdanovic isn't the greatest defender ever, but he's certainly a better option than a guy like Robinson, which makes this deal even more worth it. The Heat definitely need some offensive help, and by pulling off this deal for Bojan Bogdanovic, they would get a key player who could offer them exactly what they are looking for.
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