NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Bogdan Bogdanovic, Andre Iguodala and Gerald Green
The NBA is alive with poster dunks, buzzer-beaters and rumors galore.
It's business as usual, in other words.
The onset of the 2019-20 campaign has brought with it a new batch of basketball buzz regarding the potential frustration of an up-and-comer, a possible addition to a championship contender and a serious injury with a wide timetable. Let's get to it.
Bogdan Bogdanovic Unhappy With Reserve Role?
The Sacramento Kings have a wealth of young talent—so much, in fact, that one potential puzzle piece might be getting squeezed out of the picture.
Bogdan Bogdanovic did a little of everything during his sophomore season and drew no shortage of attention for his third. He impressed as much as anyone at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he made the All-Star team. He was offered a four-year, $51.4 million extension from the Sacramento Kings (the most they could give him), but he has left it unsigned and seems headed to restricted free agency in 2020.
That effectively makes this a contract year, and perhaps the only one Bogdanovic will have in his prime, since the 2014 draft pick didn't make his NBA debut until 2017. He has a ton at stake, and it's reportedly left him less than ecstatic about being utilized in a bench role.
"I'm sure I've heard some of the same rumblings as you of, hey, if they're locked into [Buddy] Hield and [Harrison] Barnes—Bogdanovic, he might not be thrilled with being a sixm man there," ESPN's Tim MacMahon said (via NBC Sports' Dan Feldman).
ESPN's Brian Windhorst said he's heard "exactly the same thing."
Bogdanovic told NBC Sports Bay Area's James Ham that he "just wants to win and loves his teammates," which could be construed as a denial of the report but doesn't necessarily read that way.
Truth is, his feelings on the matter pale in comparison to how Sacramento sees things. The franchise has all the control here, whether it dangles him in a deal between now and the deadline or allows him to enter restricted free agency.
He's a good player, but the Kings could decide he doesn't fit their budget after already paying Hield and Barnes and needing to pay De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III sooner than later.
Lakers Favorites in Andre Iguodala Sweepstakes?
Former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala has yet to make his season debut, and it's uncertain when that day will come. Yet, he could still play a prominent role in deciding which team hoists the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy come June.
We'll explain.
An offseason trade from the Golden State Warriors to the Memphis Grizzlies left the 35-year-old swingman stranded on a rebuilder. One more move is likely coming at some point to get him to a win-now team, although only time knows if that's a trade or a buyout agreement.
If he is bought out, one ESPN scribe hears he's destined for the Los Angeles Lakers.
"He's going to the Lakers," ESPN's Jackie MacMullan said (per Feldman). "He's going to the Lakers. I've had four different players tell me. Every player I talk to tells me that."
Previous reports had a bought-out Iguodala choosing between either the Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers, which raises a couple of questions.
First, which players are in MacMullan's ear? Were those four optimistic members of the Purple and Gold, or four impartial observers with a knowledge of Iggy's plans?
Second—and most important—how much does this matter? Memphis has no obligation to buy him out, so it's possible this L.A. showdown never happens.
The thought of Iguodala landing with either team is scary, and maybe scary enough that it entices another win-now hopeful to swing a trade with the Grizzlies.
Gerald Green Might Not Be Done for Season?
The Houston Rockets lost an underrated piece of their championship puzzle when Gerald Green broke his foot during the preseason.
But maybe they won't be without him as long as expected.
The Rockets have feared Green's injury is season-ending. Apparently, that information is still unknown and won't come to light until after his surgery, which is scheduled for Sunday, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
"The timetable for his recovery is expected to be determined by the surgery. Though there is a strong possibility that he would be out for the season, two individuals familiar with the opinions of specialists that have been consulted said that because of the nature of the injury it will not be determined until Monday’s procedure if Green could come back in roughly four months or if it could take twice as long."
Getting Green back could be quite the lift for what looks like it will be a top-heavy team. The 33-year-old has averaged nearly 18 points per 36 minutes for his career, and he has supplied Space City with 2.3 triples per night over the past two seasons.
