Bogdan Bogdanovic

Kings Notes: Hield, Bogdanovic, Cap Flexibility, Metu

December 1st, 2020 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

By the end of the 2019/20 season, it appeared that Buddy Hield‘s days in Sacramento might be numbered. He had bristled at being removed from the starting lineup last winter and the Kings appeared committed to investing in Bogdan Bogdanovic, the man who had replaced Hield as the club’s starting shooting guard.

However, Sacramento let Bogdanovic walk in free agency and Hield remains on the roster. Addressing the situation in a conference call with reporters this week, general manager Monte McNair expressed a belief that Hield can still be – and is – a part of the Kings’ long-term plans.

“I’ve talked with Buddy, as well as his agent, I think we’re all on the same page,” McNair said, per James Ham of NBC Sports California. “I think we’re really excited to see Buddy kind of let free in this system. I think he’s going to be fantastic.”

The Kings are aiming to increase their tempo on offense this season. As Ham notes, that would seem to be a good fit for Hield’s outside shooting ability.

“‘Buddy is such an incredible talent, especially his shooting is at an elite level,” McNair said. “(That) is something we saw this offseason was at a premium. I think we’re really excited to see him in this system.”

Here’s more on the Kings:

Asked during his media availability this week about the Kings’ decision not to match Bogdanovic’s offer sheet, McNair provided many of the same reasons that were reported at the time of the move. As Ham writes for NBC Sports California, the Kings’ GM said the team wants to “maintain as much (salary cap) flexibility as we can” and cited the presence of Hield and Tyrese Haliburton as the backcourt as factors in the decision to let Bogdanovic go.
Using McNair’s comments as a jumping-off point, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee explores how not having Bogdanovic’s contract on their books will affect the Kings’ projected cap room in 2021 and beyond.
The Kings used part of their mid-level exception to sign free agent forward Chimezie Metu to a three-year, minimum-salary contract, according to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Metu only has a $50K partial guarantee for now, though that would increase to $250K if he makes the opening night roster, Smith adds.

Southeast Notes: Schlenk, Wizards, Collins, Bogdanovic

November 26th, 2020 at 8:16pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a revealing media conversation on Wednesday, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk suggested that he does not intend to add any more players to Atlanta’s roster ahead of training camp, according to Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The team currently has 17 players on its roster, including its two-way players.

Although Schlenk does not anticipating trading the club’s new depth yet, he does think that the Hawks have enough players to package in a deal if needed.

“One of the things I really like about where we are is with the veteran guys, with the young guys we have, we have a lot of guys on our roster that other teams value,” Schlenk said of the Hawks’ new-look squad. “So we always try to keep ourselves in a position, if there is a star player that becomes available, we’re in a position to try to go acquire those.”

There’s more out of the league’s Southeast Division:

Fred Katz of The Athletic recaps an interesting offseason for the Wizards, including the re-signing of $80MM man Davis Bertans, the addition of backup center Robin Lopez, and the drafting of forward Deni Avdija and his positional fit on the roster. Additionally, Katz reports that forward Anthony Gill, another new addition, received “significant offers” to return to the EuroLeague for the 2020/21 season. The 28-year-old sharpshooter connected on 44 percent of his long-range looks for Khimki in Russia during the 2019/20 season.
Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk indicated that Atlanta would like to work out a contract extension with power forward John Collins, Mark Medina of USA Today tweets. Though the club added forward Danilo Gallinari to the tune of a lucrative three-year, $60MM contract in free agency this offseason, Collins is expected to remain the starting four.
New Hawks shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic is among the top offseason additions who seem primed to push the Hawks into the playoff mix, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic opines.

California Notes: Bogdanovic, Clippers, Gasol, McNair

November 26th, 2020 at 6:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Kings may have been savvy to let shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic walk in restricted free agency, Jason Jones of The Athletic posits. The addition of promising rookie shooting guard Tyrese Haliburton via the 2020 draft made Bogdanovic superfluous to Sacramento’s long-term team-building plans.

The replacement of former Kings GM Vlade Divac with Monte McNair this summer also yielded a different assessment of Bogdanovic’s value with the still-developing club, Jones writes. Bogdanovic’s four-year, $72MM contract extension also would have put Sacramento, a team that has not made the NBA playoffs since 2006, well above the salary cap.

There’s more out of California:

Jovan Buha of The Athletic assesses the current roster depth of the Clippers and speculates about how Los Angeles could still upgrade its club, most likely through trading point guards Lou Williams or Patrick Beverley for a ball-handler upgrade.
New Lakers center Marc Gasol discussed his fit with his new club, especially with regard to how he intends to contribute on the defensive end of the floor, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “I know we’re going to have great communication,” Gasol said. He also discussed his expected on-court meshing with Finals MVP LeBron James. “I’m a first pass kinda guy. But somebody — he’s gonna score too at his will whenever he decides to score, he’s gonna be able to score.”
Jason Jones of The Athletic takes stock of Kings GM Monte McNair‘s patient approach to his first offseason in Sacramento. Jones suggests that McNair’s reticence to make a big splash on the free agent or trade market indicates a confidence in the development of the club’s young core.

Bucks Rumors: Bogdanovic, Giannis, Oladipo, DiVincenzo, More

November 25th, 2020 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

Bogdan Bogdanovic was considered Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s preferred target for the Bucks in free agency, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says that Thanasis Antetokounmpo had been in contact with Bogdanovic for months as the brothers attempted to lure the swingman to Milwaukee.

As Fischer explains, Giannis admires Bogdanovic’s “toughness and swagger” and considers him someone you could “go to war with in the postseason.” As a result, the Bucks pursued Bogdanovic aggressively, discussing sign-and-trade scenarios with the Kings in the hopes of effectively taking the RFA-to-be off the market before last Friday by agreeing to a deal with Sacramento.

Early discussions between the Kings and Bucks included Eric Bledsoe, according to Fischer, who points out that sending Bledsoe’s $16.9MM contract to Sacramento would have made it simple for Milwaukee to meet Bogdanovic’s asking price of $18MM per year. However, the Kings insisted on Donte DiVincenzo‘s inclusion on any deal and Bledsoe’s salary was required for Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday acquisition.

After they struck a deal for Holiday, the Bucks reached a tentative agreement with the Kings, but Bogdanovic’s camp insists it never discussed the particulars of a contract agreement with Milwaukee, per Fischer. Bogdanovic even phoned the Antetokounmpo brothers to reiterate that point, Fischer adds.

When at least one rival team filed a formal complaint about the fact that the Kings had seemingly lined up a deal for Bogdanovic days before the start of free agency, the NBA launched an investigation and essentially took Milwaukee off the table as a destination for the 28-year-old due to the risk that the league would block the deal, says Fischer.

Now, the Bucks will have to hope that their failed pursuit of Bogdanovic doesn’t cause Giannis to pass on their super-max offer. According to Fischer, the franchise had been very confident about the odds of reaching an agreement with Antetokounmpo, but there has been a “categorical step back in that confidence” since the Bogdanovic debacle. That doesn’t mean an agreement won’t be reached — just that the Bucks aren’t as sure about it as they once were.

Here’s more on the Bucks from Fischer’s article, which is packed with interesting details:

The Bucks and Pacers had conversations about a possible trade for Victor Oladipo, Fischer confirms, adding that a package of DiVincenzo, George Hill, and the No. 24 pick was discussed at one point. Like the Kings did, the Pacers insisted on DiVincenzo being included in any offer.
DiVincenzo ultimately remained in Milwaukee and the Bucks are still “bullish” on his potential, writes Fischer. They were willing to move him for Bogdanovic because the RFA was considered a “necessary target in line with Antetokounmpo’s wishes.”
Before the Bucks struck a deal for Holiday, the Hawks discussed a package that included the No. 6 pick, Kevin Huerter, and Dewayne Dedmon, says Fischer.

Kings Decline To Match Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic Offer Sheet

November 24th, 2020 at 11:26pm CST by Luke Adams

11:26pm: The Hawks have issued a press release officially announcing the addition of Bogdanovic.

“Bogdan has a great feel for the game, and we expect him to be a great fit for us with his high-level offensive skill set, experience and toughness,” team president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk said in a statement. “It’s no secret that one of our biggest areas of focus in free agency was adding shooting and quality depth. With Bogdan as part of our incoming group, we feel those are now areas of strength.”

8:03pm: The Kings have elected not to match Atlanta’s four-year, $72MM offer sheet for restricted free agent swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, clearing the way for him to join the Hawks, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Bogdanovic enjoyed arguably the best season of his three-year NBA career in 2019/20, averaging 15.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG on .440/.372/.741 shooting in 61 contests (29.0 MPG). He earned a promotion to the starting lineup in January, displacing Buddy Hield, and helped lead the Kings to a 16-12 record during his 28 games as a starter.

While the Kings’ roster moves at last season’s trade deadline – which included dumping some 2020/21 salary – indicated they were prepared to retain Bogdanovic in restricted free agency, the team underwent a front office overhaul after the season, with Monte McNair replacing Vlade Divac as Sacramento’s general manager.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the new front office, led by McNair, “labored” over whether or not to match Bogdanovic’s four-year offer from the Hawks, which includes a fourth-year option and a 15% trade kicker. Ultimately, Woj says, the Kings prioritized retaining roster flexibility and felt that bringing back Bogdanovic would hinder their ability to continue building around cornerstones De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, and Hield.

Wojnarowski says (via Twitter) that the Tyrese Haliburton pick in last week’s draft was a factor in Sacramento’s decision too, since the No. 12 pick gives the franchise another long-term building block in the backcourt.

The Kings also had the Hield/Bogdanovic dynamic to consider. Hield, who is just starting a lucrative four-year extension himself, didn’t appear thrilled to be moved to the bench last season, and Bogdanovic was believed to be seeking a change of scenery, having reportedly felt that he had been “de-prioritized” in recent months by the Kings. Bringing back both players may not have been great for team chemistry.

Still, it’s somewhat surprising that the Kings are letting a talented young player walk for nothing. They had hoped to salvage some value in a sign-and-trade, having initially reached an agreement with the Bucks last week that would have sent Bogdanovic and Justin James to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, and Ersan Ilyasova. However, a couple days after it was first reported, that deal fell apart amid rumors that Bogdanovic himself hadn’t agree to sign with Milwaukee.

Since word of the agreement broke several days before free agency opened, there was speculation that the NBA may have intervened due to perceived tampering and/or circumvention. That hasn’t been confirmed at all, though the league did open an investigation into the situation. In any case, the Kings moved onto other sign-and-trade possibilities when free agency opened on Friday, but the Hawks had the cap room necessary to sign Bogdanovic without requiring Sacramento’s cooperation.

The Kings’ loss will be the Hawks’ gain, as an eventful week in Atlanta continues with the addition of the 28-year-old Serbian. We heard last month that the Hawks – who entered the offseason with the most cap space in the NBA – intended to be aggressive this fall, since they badly want to make it back to the playoffs next season. They’ve delivered on that promise.

After drafting USC center Onyeka Okongwu with the No. 6 pick in last Wednesday’s draft, the Hawks reached free agent agreements with Danilo Gallinari, Kris Dunn, Rajon Rondo, and Solomon Hill. Now they’ll add Bogdanovic to that group.

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Free Agent Tracker]

Atlanta’s new additions will join a core headed by Trae Young and John Collins, along with promising youngsters Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, and Kevin Huerter. Clint Capela will also be joining the mix — the former Rockets center was acquired at last season’s deadline but has yet to appear in a game for the Hawks due to a foot injury.

With Bogdanovic now officially off the board, there are only four restricted free agents who have yet to secure new deals, and all four are two-way players. There are also only three players on our list of top 50 free agents who have yet to strike deals — and one of those three, Anthony Davis, is a lock to return to his current team. The other two are Hassan Whiteside (No. 17), who has reportedly received interest from the Kings, and Reggie Jackson (No. 50).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agency Rumors: Bogdanovic, McLaughlin, Baynes, More

November 23rd, 2020 at 11:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings will have to make a decision on Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s offer sheet with the Hawks on Tuesday, and as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, there are pros and cons the team must consider as it weighs its options.

Matching Bogdanovic’s four-year, $72MM offer sheet would mean not losing him for nothing, and the contract doesn’t look particularly onerous — it’s unlikely that it will become an albatross within the next year. Bogdanovic would have veto power on any trade for the next year if Sacramento matches his offer, and the deal includes a 15% trade kicker, but there’s a good chance the club could eventually move him for positive value.

Still, while the Kings had originally budgeted for a $15-18MM annual salary for Bogdanovic under former GM Vlade Divac, per Anderson, the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the salary cap coming in $6MM lower than anticipated may make the team nervous about a long-term deal at the upper end of that range.

Additionally, sources have suggested to Anderson that Bogdanovic would prefer a change of scenery and that the swingman feels he has been “de-prioritized” by the Kings. Sacramento already may have to deal with one disgruntled wing in Buddy Hield — carrying two of them, and having them eat into each other’s minutes, may not be an ideal situation for the club.

Here are a few more notes and rumors related to free agency:

The Timberwolves and restricted free agent guard Jordan McLaughlin are engaged in ongoing talks about a new contract, a source tells Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. McLaughlin was on a two-way deal last season as a rookie, but is due for a promotion to a standard contract after averaging 7.6 PPG and 4.2 APG on .489/.382/.667 shooting in 30 games (19.7 MPG).
Before he committed to the Raptors, free agent center Aron Baynes gave serious consideration to joining the Warriors, a league source tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Alex Len, another center who agreed to a deal with Toronto, generated interest from the Lakers, Sixers, Bucks, and Kings during free agency, according to Scotto. The Raptors used their mid-level exception to give Len slightly more than his minimum salary.
The Hawks and Pistons were among the teams that expressed interest in Damyean Dotson before the free agent guard committed to Cleveland, reports Scotto. Dotson’s two-year, $4MM deal with the Cavaliers is worth more than the minimum and the club is still weighing whether to use its mid-level exception or bi-annual exception to complete the signing, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Hawks Sign Bogdanovic To Offer Sheet; Kings Leaning Toward Not Matching

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 24, 7:05pm: The Kings are still discussing whether to match Atlanta’s offer sheet but are leaning strongly towards not matching, Amick tweets.

NOVEMBER 22, 12:11pm: The Hawks have sent Bogdanovic’s signed offer sheet to the Kings, who will now have until Tuesday night to decide whether or not to match it, reports Amick (Twitter link).

The deal includes a fourth-year player option and a 15% trade kicker, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. That trade kicker is structured so that the team trading away Bogdanovic while he’s on this contract would have to pay the bonus, Stein adds (via Twitter).

NOVEMBER 22, 11:17am: The Hawks are submitting an offer sheet for Kings restricted free agent swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported on Friday that Atlanta was expected to sign Bogdanovic to an offer sheet.

The deal will be worth $72MM over four years, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link). That’s the exact price we’d heard connected to Bogdanovic for the last several days.

Once Bogdanovic officially signs the offer sheet, the Kings will have two days to make a decision on whether or not to match it. As Amick notes (via Twitter), the Hawks likely wouldn’t be prepared to move forward on the offer sheet unless they felt pretty confident about its chances of not being matched.

Earlier this week, it appeared that Bogdanovic would join the Bucks in a sign-and-trade agreement that packaged him and Justin James to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, and Ersan Ilyasova. However, a couple days after it was first reported, that deal fell apart amid rumors that Bogdanovic himself hadn’t agree to sign with Milwaukee.

Since word of the deal broke several days before free agency opened, there was speculation that the NBA may have intervened due to perceived tampering and/or circumvention. That hasn’t been confirmed at all, though the league did open an investigation into the situation.

The Bucks ultimately moved on from their pursuit of Bogdanovic, opening the door for the Hawks – one of the few teams with significant cap room – to make a run at him. Atlanta has already had a successful free agency period, having struck deals with Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, and Kris Dunn. If they can land Bogdanovic, it would represent another upgrade on a core that already features Trae Young, John Collins, and Clint Capela.

While there’s still a chance the Kings could match the Hawks’ offer so as not to lose a key asset for nothing, the team may have tipped its hand when its reported agreement with the Bucks broke. That deal was a signal that Sacramento wasn’t necessarily intent on retaining the RFA swingman, who would add another expensive multiyear contract to a cap sheet that already features pricey long-term deals for Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, and – starting in 2021/22 – De’Aaron Fox.

After their deal with the Bucks was scuttled, the Kings reportedly explored other sign-and-trade scenarios involving Bogdanovic, with the Lakers and Pacers among the teams believed to have interest. However, any deal would’ve come with cap- and compensation-related challenges, whereas Atlanta had the flexibility to simply sign Bogdanovic outright to an offer sheet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bogdan Bogdanovic Receiving Interest From Pacers?

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:40am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22, 12:40am: A source with knowledge of the situation tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) that the Pacers “aren’t engaged” in sign-and-trade talks with the Kings on a deal that would involve Bogdanovic and Turner.

Anderson clarifies in a follow-up tweet that there’s room for interpretation regarding the Pacers’ level of interest in Bogdanovic, but his source “flatly rejected” the idea of Turner being involved in a deal.

NOVEMBER 21, 10:00pm: The Pacers weren’t able to complete a sign-and-trade deal with Boston to land Gordon Hayward, but the Celtics forward apparently wasn’t the only sign-and-trade target on the team’s radar.

Sources tell James Ham of NBC Sports California that Indiana has shown interest in Kings restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is also drawing interest from the Hawks.

Atlanta has the cap room necessary to sign Bogdanovic to an offer sheet. In that scenario, the Kings would have to elect whether or not to match the offer, and would lose the talented swingman for nothing if they decline to match.

The over-the-cap Pacers would have to negotiate a sign-and-trade with Sacramento in order to give Bogdanovic a contract that reflects his market value (believed to be in the range of $18MM annually). If Indiana is willing to make a player like Myles Turner available in that scenario, that would certainly appeal to the Kings more than the prospect of losing Bogdanovic for nothing, Ham writes.

There would be some cap-related hurdles to overcome in any deal between the Kings and Pacers. And, of course, as the Bucks and the Kings were reminded earlier in the week, Bogdanovic himself would have to sign off on the idea of joining the Pacers over Atlanta or another team. Still, it’s certainly a possibility worth keeping an eye on.

For what it’s worth, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that the Pacers – as well as the Rockets – expressed some exploratory interest in a possible sign-and-trade for free agent guard Fred VanVleet before he committed to re-sign with the Raptors.

Free Agent Rumors: Bogdanovic, Hawks, Batum, Lin, Hernangomez

November 21st, 2020 at 5:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sources remain confident that the Hawks are in a strong position to sign Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Kirschner says he has heard that a deal for Bogdanovic could be in the four-year, $72MM range, which is the same ballpark identified by Brian Windhorst of ESPN earlier this week.

The Hawks are believed to still have about $20MM in cap room available, so they have the flexibility necessary to make a move for Bogdanovic. However, he remains a restricted free agent, so if they sign him to an offer sheet that would tie up their cap space for multiple days, they’ll want to be pretty confident that the Kings won’t match it.

Here are a few more free agency updates:

Veteran combo forward Nicolas Batum has already received interest from multiple teams, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Hornets chose to waive-and-stretch the final year of Batum’s contract in order to sign free agent forward Gordon Hayward.
Point guard Jeremy Lin wants to return to the NBA and several contenders are interested, Alex Kennedy of Basketball News tweets. Lin spent last season in China, averaging 22.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 5.6 APG. Lin was recently spotted working out with Nets players, according to Kennedy, though it’s not certain whether Brooklyn is one of the teams showing interest. He played for the Hawks and Raptors during the 2018/19 season.
While Malik Beasley got a deal with the Timberwolves done quickly, the team appears willing to be more patient with its other restricted free agent. According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), Minnesota is letting the market play out for Juan Hernangomez to establish the parameters of his potential deal.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Knicks, Hawks, Hornets Still Have Cap Room Available

November 21st, 2020 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks, Hawks, and Hornets are the only teams that still project to have cap room available after the first day of free agency, tweets Keith Smith of RealGM.

Smith estimates that New York has about $29MM or so left to spend, with Atlanta around $25MM and Charlotte at about $19MM. Cap exceptions, minimum deals, and sign-and-trades will be the only way for other teams to add free agents, barring cost-cutting moves to get under the cap, Smith notes.

We may find out as early as today what each of those three Eastern lottery teams intends to do with its cap room.

The Knicks are reportedly in the running for free agent forward Gordon Hayward, but could turn their attention elsewhere if Hayward agrees to re-sign with the Celtics or reaches a sign-and-trade deal with the Pacers. Fred VanVleet, who is reportedly meeting with interested teams today, might be one option.

The Hawks are believed to have their sights set on Bogdan Bogdanovic and Rajon Rondo, with a report yesterday indicating that the team was confident it will be able to land at least two players from a group of free agents that included those two and Danilo Gallinari (who is finalizing a three-year deal with Atlanta).

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer says Atlanta is considered the frontrunner to land Bogdanovic, but notes that the Lakers remain in pursuit. Getting something back from L.A. in a sign-and-trade may appeal more to the Kings – who still hold Bogdanovic’s RFA rights – than losing him for nothing if the Hawks use their cap room to sign him to an offer sheet they won’t match.

As for the Hornets, I expect they’ll use a chunk of their cap room to fortify their frontcourt. A report on Friday night indicated they made Montrezl Harrell a bigger offer than the two-year, $19MM deal he ultimately accepted from the Lakers.

Besides VanVleet, Hayward, and Bogdanovic, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Serge Ibaka, Jae Crowder, and Hassan Whiteside are among the best free agents still available from our top-50 list. Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram also technically haven’t agreed to deals with their respective teams, but are considered virtual locks to re-sign with the Lakers and Pelicans.

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