NBA Trade Rumors: Hawks open to trading Bogdan Bogdanovic too?

NBA Trade Rumors: The Atlanta Hawks are open to trading Bogdan Bogdanovic in addition to John Collins? 

The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the bigger surprises in the Eastern Conference. You can make the argument that through the first few weeks of the season, the Hawks have been the third-most consistent team in the conference. They’re 9-6 and you can make the argument that the team is still getting better.

Despite their strong start to the year, the Hawks have made frequent appearances in the rumor mill. At the center of it all is John Collins, who is once again being rumored to be moved ahead of the trade deadline.

Though, according to a recent report, perhaps there’s another Hawks player that we should be keeping a close eye on. Per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, it’s Bogdan Bogdanovic who may be the most available Hawks player at the deadline.

Bogdanovic could be an attractive trade target for a contender

Even though Bogdanovic has yet to play in a game this season (coming off offseason knee surgery), he could be viewed as an interesting target for a contender looking for an offensive punch in the backcourt.

Bogdanovic was extremely productive for the Hawks last season (in which he averaged 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists per game on 43 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from 3-point range) but his value to the team has tanked a bit after the acquisition of Dejounte Murray during the offseason. Even though Bogdanovic could still play a role for the team, it would probably make better sense to shop Bogdanovic in an attempt to fill a hole at another position if the Hawks could.

That’s probably what this report is more about. For example, if the Hawks could add a defensive-minded wing in exchange for Bogdanovic, they’d probably make that move. Even though their offense is far from ideal (currently ranked 16th in the league), Bogdanovic could be a natural trade target considering he’s essentially on an expiring contract (with a player option, which he’ll likely decline, for next season).

While all the attention may surround a possible Collins trade, perhaps we should be looking toward Bogdanovic as the player that is more likely to be traded before the deadline.