Warriors reportedly interested in Bogdan Bogdanović

The NBA trade deadline is just a few days away, and the rumor mill is running wild for the Golden State Warriors. Over the weekend, it was reported that the team was shopping Kelly Oubre Jr., and pursuing Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon.

And now a new name has surfaced: Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanović.

According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Warriors have some interest in the sharpshooter. However, that is all we know, as this is the entirety of Charania’s report:

The Warriors have shown interest in Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, sources said.

There’s not much to go on there, so who knows whether the Warriors interest level is as low as “he’s a good player” or as high as “drop everything and get this guy.” Furthermore, it’s not entirely clear if the Hawks are actually open to trading Bogdanović, who they only just signed this offseason.

But it’s still a fun one to think about. The benefits of Bogdanović are clear. He’s under contract for the next two seasons, with a player option for 2023-24, which means the Warriors would be able to maintain some semblance of financial flexibility by swapping Oubre’s expiring contract for a long-term deal.

The fit is also pretty decent, as Bogdanović is comfortable playing off ball or initiating the offense. Long-term, he could fit in three-guard lineups with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, lead a bench unit, or fill in as a starter when needed.

There is, however, the question of how good he is. Bogdanović, a 28 year old, has struggled quite a bit this season, though injuries are largely to blame for that. He’s played in only 17 games, and is averaging just 9.5 points and 2.3 assists per game, and shooting 33.0% from three-point range. But in 2019-20, while with the Sacramento Kings, he had a strong season — 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 37.2% from distance. That said, advanced metrics haven’t always been as high on him as per game stats.

Even so, he’d likely represent an upgrade from Oubre, while allowing the Warriors to lock into a contract long-term. Which brings up another question: what would the cost be?

Oubre would be the center of any Bogdanović trade, to make salaries work. But given that Atlanta just signed Bogdanović to a long-year deal, they probably don’t want to give him up for an expiring contract. Golden State would likely have to sweeten the pot with another player or some draft pick compensation.

The odds of anything happening here are pretty slim, but it is fun to think about.