National Basketball Association

Bojan Bogdanovic to the Hawks?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Bojan Bogdanovic may be the best wing player on the Brooklyn Nets’ roster. What would it take for the Hawks to pry him away?

The Nets are horrible.

I challenge you, the reader, to name four players on their team. It may seem unreasonable to say that a team will not win a single game, but if any team could, it will be the 2016-17 Brooklyn Nets. With this being known, the Nets are stuck in a bad place. Without their draft pick this year, unless they finish with a better record than the Boston Celtics, they are an asset-less, talent-less team. Their best player, Brook Lopez, is talented, but injury-prone. Jeremy Lin is a high-quality guard, but the Nets just signed him this off season.

The Atlanta Hawks are also in a bind. After an offseason of turnover, three-fifths of the 60-win 2015 starting lineup is gone. Kyle Korver turns 36 in March, and Paul Millsap‘s contract is up after the season. The team, in its’ current state, isn’t winning a championship.

Enter the Nets’ Bojan Bogdanovic.

The 27-year old Croatian is coming off an impressive Olympic run, in which he led all scorers with 25.3 points per game, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 45 percent from the 3-point line.

Bogdanovic is likley the best scoring option the Nets have to offer, aside from Lopez. His talents are likely wasting away in Brooklyn. His presence will not likley force Brooklyn into the playoffs, as this may be the least talented professional basketball team of the 21st century.

What would it likley take to pry the possibly game-changing Croatian from Mikhail Prokhorov’s hands?

Nov 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) drives past Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott (32) in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Hawks Receive: Bojan Bogdanovic

Nets Receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Mike Scott, Edy Tavares, and Minnesota’s 2017 first round pick

This reported trade would bring the Nets an extremely intriguing return for Bogdanovic.

The Hawks would be sending over three players that could make an impact on the struggling Nets from Day One. Being re-united with Kenny Atkinson would make the change much easier. Mike Scott may be one of the best shooters at his position. Tim Hardaway Jr. still had the skills to be an elite shooting guard for a team, but in Atlanta, he had been stuck on the bench since Day One. Tavares is one of the league’s best kept secrets. A 7’3 monster, he could be molded into a Dikembe Mutombo-lite type of player.

The Hawks would receive what may be the most underrated player in the league. Coming off such a great Olympic run, his momentum will likley carry over to the NBA season. The deal would give the Hawks a way to relieve Kyle Korver of his starting duties. This could do wonders for his health, and have him sharper come playoff time.

In contrast, the Hawks would lose a possibly valuable pick, as the Timberwolves may still be one year away from making their big playoff run. They would also lost Tavares, who could be an even bigger asset in two or three seasons. Adding an extremely talented player in Bogdanovic would keep the rookies on the bench even more. Taurean Prince and Deandre’ Bembry look to be NBA-ready from the jump, but Bogdanovic would stifle their minutes much more than Hardaway could.

The Nets would lose their best wing player in this deal. Though his numbers may have been empty, his scoring is undeniable. His defense is also shaky, totaling a disastrous 0.0 defensive win shares last year. Ignoring that, he is still one of their best players.

Would this trade help or hurt the Hawks in the short term? In the long term? Leave your thoughts on the possible deal in the comments, and discuss it with me on Twitter @ATLpistolpete.