The New York Knicks acquired Bojan Bogdanovic at the February 8 trade deadline. He was sent in to provide moving shots for a Knicks team that at times became stagnant on the offensive end.
Bogdanovic averaged 10.4 points and two rebounds while shooting 43 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range in 29 games with New York.
As the Knicks enter the offseason, they must decide whether to guarantee Bogdanovic’s contract. Only $2 million of his $19 million contract is guaranteed for next season. SNY’s Ian Begley recently said on the “HoopsHype Podcast” that New York will likely fully secure its deal to acquire a valuable trade token.
“If you don’t have his salary, where do you look in terms of salary to move into a trade?” Begley said. “Julius Randle will be just under $30 million next year. Mitchell Robinson is just under $15 million. You don’t have a lot of options in terms of average salaries, at a good number where you can put together a package for match a significant amount. That’s why I think the Knicks will guarantee Bojan. It doesn’t make much sense to cut him.”
New York is believed to be one star away from being a top contender in the Eastern Conference. Bogdanovic was impressive during his tenure with the Detroit Pistons. NBA teams are always looking for veteran shooters who can score without dominating touches.
Bogdanovic was always going to emerge as a trade piece for New York. She understood his contract situation before trading for him. Having him on the roster gives him a solid salary matching tool with on-court value. He can also tilt future draft picks and other talent to comprise a complete trade package.