NBA: 5 non-star trade targets that could change the playoff race

Bogdan Bogdanovic – Sacramento Kings

Losers of five-straight and 14 of their last 17 games, the Sacramento Kings have been one of the bigger disappointments of the NBA’s first half. Health has certainly been an issue, but the Kings just aren’t playing the same as they did last season. Per NBA.com, they’ve fallen from third to 27th in pace, and don’t look anything like the team that won 39 games a year ago.

Whenever a team underachieves, the vultures at the top of the standings will come calling and try to pluck whatever talent remains. De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley will certainly be off-limits. This leaves just one player that will have the Kings’ phones ringing off the hook – everyone’s favorite player whose last name is also his first, Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Bogdanovic isn’t an elite defender, but he has good size at 6-foot-6, he’s a good shooter (37.5% career average from 3), a willing passer (3.6 APG for his career). He’s the kind of player that every team wants and there’s no doubt he could play big minutes for a contender in the postseason.

The only issue with pulling off a trade for Bogdanovic is that we don’t really know what the Kings want to do with him. Jason Jones of The Athletic previously reported (subscription required) that it would take a “crazy” offer to get Bogdanovic out of Sacramento.

**Insert Lloyd Christmas’ “So you’re telling me there’s a chance” video**

The Kings’ reluctance to trade Bogdanovic is expected. He’s still only 27 years old and fits as a nice compliment to their star backcourt of Fox and Hield. But eventually, the Kings are going to have to make some tough decisions. Bogdanovic is a restricted free agent this summer, but will the Kings want to match his offer sheet?

Per Spotrac, the Kings already signed Harrison Barnes (four years, $85 million) and Buddy Hield (four years, $106 million) to lucrative deals that will have them on the books through the 2023 and 2024 seasons respectively.

You’d also have to expect that Fox will get the max contract when his rookie deal expires after the 2020-21 season. So if you’re the Kings, do you really want to put that much money into Fox, Hield, Barnes, and Bogdanovic? Time will tell, but if they don’t match Bogdanovich’s offer this summer, they’ll be kicking themselves if they don’t get some quality assets for him.