As sad as it is to admit, Bogdan Bogdanovic’s glory days appear to be behind him.
After spending his rookie contract on a lowly late 2010s Sacramento Kings squad, Bogdanovic signed with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2020 offseason. Bogdanovic quickly became a key fixture in a fun Hawks squad, where he thrived alongside Trae Young.
Five years later, however, Bogdanovic was moved to the Los Angeles Clippers for Terance Mann. The Hawks also forked over a Minnesota second round pick, which became Mohamed Diawara at the 51st overall selection – essentially making the trade a one-to-one swap.
Both teams identified their traded player as one who was about to plummet in value. Mann had just signed a three-year, $47 million deal that the Clippers were looking to move on from, while Bogdanovic was showing signs of decline with the Hawks. The two players were also better fits in their new locations, with versatile wings thriving alongside Young and scoring two guards thriving in Los Angeles.
Bogdanovic, however, has struggled mightily as of late. He began the year out of the rotation, picking up two consecutive DNP-CDs at the start of the season, and it’s easy to see why. He’s only averaged 8.0 points on 37.6% from the field and 33.3% from three – all career lows. While he eventually carved out a role in a struggling and injury-riddled Clippers squad, he has now missed the last 13 games with a hamstring injury.
Atlanta moved off Bogdanovic at the perfect time
When Bogdanovic signed with Atlanta, Young had just broken out as a sophomore, and the team identified him as a perfect offensive fit alongside their star point guard. While many raised their eyebrows at the time due to their lack of defensive ability, this move was brilliant in hindsight.
Bogdanovic impressed during his first year in Atlanta, breaking into the starting lineup in late March in place of Kevin Huerter. While he would eventually lose his starting job, first to Huerter, then to Dejounte Murray, this was no problem – Bogdanovic was always meant to be a microwave sixth man.
The league recognized his greatness by voting him fifth and sixth in the Sixth Man of the Year rankings in 2022 and 2024, respectively. He filled the bench scoring void left by Danilo Gallinari admirably, and Hawks fans learned to love his classic scoring two-guard playstyle.
Bogdanovic initially struggled last season, but he turned things around after being traded to LA. While he was left to a reduced role in a crowded Clippers backcourt, he shot the lights out. He posted the second-highest clip from two, three, and EFG% in what was nothing short of a heartwarming turnaround. Even Hawks fans, who lamented Bogdanovic’s poor performance to begin last season, were happy to see their former two guard thriving.
This honeymoon was short-lived, however, and the writing is on the wall: Bogdanovic is in the twilight of his career.
With Boganovic shooting career lows across the board, no competitive team will be looking to sign him when his contract expires this offseason. He could extend his career for a few seasons by finding a young team in need of veteran leadership, but his days of being a high-level NBA contributor appear to be in the rearview.