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NBA Trade Grades: Wizards To Acquire Bojan Bogdanovic From Nets

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 30, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) defends in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 118-95. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) defends in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 118-95. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Trade Grades
Dec 5, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) dribbles the ball while being defended by Washington Wizards forward Andrew Nicholson (44) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

Brooklyn Nets

When general manager Sean Marks dealt Thaddeus Young for a late first round pick that turned into Caris LeVert last year, many Nets fans felt a sense of relief that he understood what needed to be done to get Brooklyn back on track. This trade should only reaffirm that optimism.

True enough, the overall outlook is still pretty gloomy for the Nets. They have the worst record in the league by a mile, and they’ll likely be surrendering the No. 1 overall pick to the Boston Celtics this summer thanks to a disastrous trade for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013 that depleted the Nets’ cupboard of assets.

Brooklyn also owes Boston its 2018 first-rounder, which is why it’s paramount for Marks to continue cleaning up the mistakes of his predecessor by adding whatever first-rounders he can scrounge up. Turning Bogdanovic into a first round pick — even one that’s currently slated to be No. 24 in this year’s draft — is a victory.

Giving up a 22-year-old with potential like McCullough hurts, but the Nets needed a sweetener in this deal to justify getting a first-rounder for the bench player he’ll be in Washington. McCullough might have been a lottery pick in the 2015 NBA Draft if not for his ACL tear, but his recovery and adjustment to the NBA level has been slow-going.

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There’s still potential there, but it’s unclear if he’ll ever reach his ceiling. He’s only played in 14 games this season, averaging 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in a meager 5.1 minutes per game.

As for Andrew Nicholson, he’s a 27-year-old power forward averaging just 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game this season. It’s safe to say he failed to live up to the bloated four-year, $26 million contract Washington signed him to last summer.

However, as much as taking on the two years and $13 million left on his salary (plus a $6.9 million player option for 2019-20) is less than ideal, Brooklyn is a team that can afford to take on that kind of unwanted contract. They can give him a go, and if he doesn’t pan out, the Nets can always stretch him.

The Nets had to give up on McCullough’s potential and they’ll have to take on Nicholson’s ugly contract, but they somehow turned an upcoming restricted free agent like Bogdanovic into a first round pick — something very few people saw coming.

This will allow them to either package their two first-rounders (Boston’s pick currently at No. 26 and Washington’s pick currently at No. 24) to move up in the draft, or take two late stabs at unearthing a diamond in the rough.

Plus, we get the return of Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn! (UPDATE: Just kidding, Woj reports the Nets will waive him. Sad day.)

Grade: A-

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