The Pistons continue to say they extended Bojan Bogdanovic because they want to keep him, both for his skill set and ability to mentor a young team. You can count on one hand the number of people around the league who fully believe that.
The front offices believe that the Pistons are open to a deal but want to keep the price high for Bogdanovic — and if no team meets it, they will keep him. Jake Fischer at Yahoo Sports reported essentially that on Thursday.
At this juncture, the Pistons are seeking at least one first-rounder and either a young player with upside or additional draft capital, sources said, plus Cleveland has company in Dallas, Phoenix and the Lakers, among other teams in pursuit of Bogdanovic.
Maybe that price comes down a little, but not a lot.
Bogdanovic averages 21.1 points a game and while shooting 42.2% from 3-point range, he can be a secondary shot creator on offense and a solid defender on the other end. He would help many teams, but enough to give up what the Pistons are asking? The Lakers are not looking to make a big move and give up a first, so count them out. Phoenix would love to give up Jae Crowder in a deal, but will Robert Sarver sign off on bringing in extra salary? Finding a deal that works for the Pistons and their trade partners is hard.
It’s early, there are a lot of negotiations to go, but as of today the Pistons seem set on their asking price.
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Report: Pistons keep price high but listen to trade offers for Bogdanovic; Lakers, Mavs interested originally appeared on NBCSports.com