NBA: Wizards Trade Pick To Nets For Bojan Bogdanovic, Chris McCullough
The Washington Wizards made a big move before the NBA trade deadline to acquire Bojan Bogdanovic, but it came with a price.
The Brooklyn Nets were actively shopping forward Bojan Bogdanovic before the NBA Trade Deadline. He ended up on the Washington Wizards. The Wizards received Bojan Bogdanovic and 22-year-old center Chris McCullough in exchange for Marcus Thornton, Andrew Nicholson and a 2017 first-round draft pick.
The trade gives the Nets another first-round pick to work with. They lost this year's pick after swapping first-rounders with the Boston Celtics for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013. The pick from the Wizards is lottery-protected, but it's currently projected to be the 24th pick in this year's draft.
Brooklyn is recouping draft picks
With a 9-47 record, Brooklyn owes the Celtics this year's first-rounder and their 2018 first-rounder. Needless to say, general manager Sean Marks has had a lot of work to do since being hired this past year. Last summer, Marks traded Thaddeus Young to the Indiana Pacers for a first-round pick that's since turned into point guard Caris LeVert. Getting another first-round pick for Bogdanovic helps improve an already bleak situation for Brooklyn. Seems like they have a process of their own working in their favor.
The team plans on waiving guard Marcus Thornton once the trade is approved as well. With guards Isaiah Whitehead, Sean Kilpatrick, Randy Foye, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie on the roster, Thornton would just create a logjam on the roster. At best, he was part of this trade for salary cap purposes. So his return to Brooklyn will be short-lived.
Acquiring Andrew Nicholson is an added plus. He hasn't played much of a role in the Wizard's rotation this season. He's averaging 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game since signing a four-year $26 million deal. Since the Nets need some frontcourt depth, trying out Nicholson seems like a viable option.
Bogdanovic a great fit in Washington
As @Simon_Says_63 put it, Bojan Bogdanovic is a glove in-hand fit for the Washington Wizards. He gives them a solid scoring option and another three-point shooter off the bench. The third-year forward is averaging 14.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, shooting 35.7 percent from three-point land. Adding him gives the Wizards a solid wing option as well as depth at the forward position.
Another plus is Bogdanovic has an expiring contract, so the money the Wizards invested in Nicholson (4-year/$26 million deal) technically will return to their pocket this summer.
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Center Chris McCullough is a 22-year-old center that's appeared in just 14 games for the Nets. He's averaging 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.1 minutes per contest. Acquiring him isn't a bad deal considering the contract Andrew Nicholson signed this past offseason. McCullough is still on his rookie contract with two team options left. So if the team doesn't need him after this season, they have a team option to pass up on to let him go.
It doesn't really hurt Washington losing their first-round draft pick because of their young core. It allows the team to sign Otto Porter Jr. to a lucrative deal this summer when he becomes a restricted free agent.
Overall, this trade is good for both teams. The Nets get a first-round draft pick, the Wizards get some bench help and everybody goes home happy before the trade deadline.
