There were several years of speculation, rumor mongering, and wishcasting about potential Nuggets trades and how to reshape the roster around Nikola Jokic. One popular idea that came up frequently was trading to acquire one of Jokic’s friends and teammates on the Serbian National Team, Bogdan Bogdanovic.
According to Jake Fischer, that dream was almost a reality as he reported that the Nuggets and Hawks had conversations about swapping Michael Porter Jr. for De’Andre Hunter and Bogdanovic before last season’s trade deadline.
Considering all three players have since been traded, it’s fair to believe this report has some legs and there’s a real chance this deal could have gone down. Hunter is a young wing player in a similar mold to Denver’s pivot, Cam Johnson. Hunter is a good shooter and solid offensive player who hasn’t fully reached his potential, especially on defense.
Bogey is a veteran sharp-shooter and trash-talker. He would have created sweet, sweet music on the floor with Jokic and could have provided a much-needed jolt of offense off the bench or as a fifth starter.
Nuggets better off passing on Bogdanovic
Ultimately, this deal would have been awesome just to see Jokic and Bogey playing together in the NBA, but Denver is better off. Hunter has been fine, but nothing special for the Cavaliers since being dealt. He didn’t give them the boost they wanted in the playoffs and has seen his name in trade rumors again this season.
Bogey is already 33 years old and has struggled to stay healthy and stay in the rotation for the 12-21 Clippers. His best days appear to be long behind him, and it’s hard to imagine him having a major positive impact in the NBA for the rest of his career.
The Nuggets would have used their last bullet on a couple of role players who may offer a marginal upgrade at best, but nothing tangible. It would have been a lateral move, and perhaps even a step back, with Hunter not fitting as well as MPJ and Bogey possibly failing to even crack the rotation.
Instead, Denver was patient and was able to turn MPJ’s contract into a smaller one in Johnson, and several other ones in Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bruce Brown. Those moves transformed the roster and have saved the team while battling injuries. It wouldn’t have been possible if they had chosen to flip Porter Jr. earlier for Hunter and Bogey.