Assessing Bleacher Report’s Bojan Bogdanovic trade for Milwaukee Bucks

The pros of Bleacher Report’s Bojan Bogdanovic trade for Milwaukee Bucks

Starting off with the positives, there is no shortage of reasons why Bojan Bogdanovic would be a seamless fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.

First and foremost, Bogdanovic is an electrifying three-level scorer. Over the last three seasons as a member of the Utah Jazz, the versatile forward has averaged 18.4 points per game while sinking 44.7 percent of his field goal attempts and 39.7 percent of his 3-point tries. Adding Bogdanovic to the mix would give the Bucks another reputable scorer who fits perfectly alongside the leading trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. Bogdanovic would be a great fourth option for the Bucks on the offensive end, and he would undoubtedly make them more formidable on that side of things nightly.

Sticking with Milwaukee’s offense, having a strong scorer like Bogdanovic could be useful for the Bucks in the playoffs. Despite winning an NBA title in 2021 and pushing the Boston Celtics to seven games without Khris Middleton in 2022, it has been well-documented that Milwaukee’s offense has struggled mightily over the last two postseasons. Consistency has been a huge issue, and adding a piece like Bogdanovic would give the Bucks another elite scorer to keep the wheels turning at all times. Given his lethal scoring prowess, Bogdanovic would alleviate pressure off of the other members of the Big 3, which would be significant.

In addition to strengthening Milwaukee’s scoring, Bogdanovic would also shore up the versatility on the roster. Coach Mike Budenholzer has experimented with various lineup combinations over the last several years, and one of the most successful has been when he puts Antetokounmpo at the center position. That strategy was a big reason why the Bucks were able to win the 2021 title. To get the best out of Antetokounmpo at center, Budenholzer needs to put an adequate small-ball power forward alongside him. While Bogdanovic would not provide the defense like P.J. Tucker did, he would be a far more formidable threat offensively in this role.

Moving George Hill is also an underrated part of this trade. The veteran point guard had arguably his worst season to date last season, and fans have clamored for the team to move him. Doing so would essentially hand Jevon Carter the keys to being Milwaukee’s full-time backup point guard from the jump next season. Carter played the best basketball of his career after signing with the Bucks late last season, but Mike Budenholzer opted to play Hill over him, which proved to be a disastrous decision. Moving Hill would eliminate the possibility of that happening again.