Bogdan Bogdanovic agrees to three-year deal, will join Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings continue their rebuild with signing of European star Bogdan Bogdanovic.
The Sacramento Kings have reportedly agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with Fenerbahçe’s Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to CSN Bay Area. Despite missing most of the 2016-17 season with an ankle injury, Bogdanovic is thought of as one of Europe’s top prospects. This move is huge for the Kings, who continue to add youth to their roster.
After trading Demarcus Cousins to the Pelicans last season, the Kings have been in a rebuilding phase. Bogdanovic looks to come into Sacramento and compete for the starting shooting guard spot. The Serbian guard will attempt to beat out Buddy Hield, Garrett Temple and Malachi Richardson for the spot.
The 6-foot-6 guard was drafted by the Suns in the first round of the 2014 draft. However, Phoenix was never able to convince the Serbian to play in the NBA. As a result, the Suns traded the rights to Bogdanovic the Kings as part of a trade in 2016. Now, Bogdanovic’s NBA debut looks imminent as the Kings have reportedly convinced the Serbian to come to the United States.
Bogdanovic averaged 12.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game in 2016-17. His defensive abilities give him an edge over the competition. However, the ankle injury is a cause for concern. His previously questioned athletic skills will be reviewed once again when he joins the association. The NBA offers a much most faster paced and physical game than that in Europe. On the other hand, Bogdanovic’s shooting ability should excite the Kings. The only downside? He needs space. Along with athleticism, his weakness is contested shooting. His teammates will need to set some screens for him or give him open looks. Fortunately for Sacramento, they drafted a player in De’Aaron Fox who is excellent at finding the open man.
Luckily for the Kings, winning seems to follow Bogdanovic wherever he goes. The Serbian has an olympic silver medal and Turkish super league gold already displayed in his trophy case. Maybe he’ll help bring some hardware to Sacramento.