The Los Angeles Lakers finally strengthened their roster by trading for Rui Hachimura on Monday. It was a move that seemingly came out of nowhere, as he wasn’t one of the names that had been linked with the team earlier.
Still, it was a pretty good trade as he does help fill some holes on this roster and GM Rob Pelinka explained why they wanted Hachimura. There are still moves that can be made to improve this roster and a name that has been linked often with the Lakers is Bojan Bogdanovic. Lakers insider Jovan Buha says Bogdanovic continues to be the name tied to the Lakers among NBA circles but added that there is one roadblock to the move being made.
via The Athletic:
“Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanović continues to be the name most often tied to the Lakers in league circles, but the Pistons are looking for an unprotected first-round pick, at a minimum, in a potential trade, according to league sources. The Lakers’ preference is to only give up a lottery-protected first for the 34-year-old Bogdanović, though that could change when up against the trade-deadline clock.”
It is easy to see the thought process involved for both teams here. The Lakers know that there is a good chance that their first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 could be near the top of the draft, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis might not be on the roster by then. A lottery-protected pick would ensure they keep the pick if it’s a good one but then it won’t be of much use for the Detroit Pistons. Bogdanovic is having the best season of his career as he is averaging 21.5 PPG on 42.3% shooting from beyond the arc and they would feel he would be worth an unprotected first-round pick at this point.
There Are A Lot Of Teams Interested In Bojan Bogdanovic
The Lakers would have to move fast if they are to get him though, as they aren’t the only ones who would like to have the Croatian. Shams Charania reported that the Mavericks, Bucks, Raptors, Cavaliers, and Pelicans have also registered interest in him, so it is unlikely that the asking price will go down, considering there is so much demand.
The Lakers will ultimately have to cave into the Pistons’ asking price if they desperately want him on the roster. It sure is shaping up to be an interesting couple of weeks before the deadline.
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