Would run at Bogdan Bogdanovic fill Malcolm Brogdon void for Milwaukee Bucks?

The Milwaukee Bucks are missing Malcolm Brogdon. Could making a run at Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic help relieve that?

This offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks made a very tough decision when they decided to execute a sign-and-trade with the Indiana Pacers in July. This transaction sent guard Malcolm Brogdon to a new team on a four-year, $85 million contract. While at the time this didn’t seem like a poor choice, the first month of the season has indicated otherwise, and could lead to the Bucks looking to make a trade for a player like Bogdan Bogdanovic, as some like Jonathan Tjarks at The Ringer have pointed out.

Through 12 games with the Pacers, Brogdon is thriving. Averaging 19.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, the former Rookie of the Year has proven he can accept a larger role. Indiana is 8-6 and awaiting the arrival of franchise player Victor Oladipo. With more responsibility comes more touches and more shots — and Brogdon is making the most of them.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

On the other side of this offseason deal, the Bucks’ replacement plan has turned out to be less than ideal. Wesley Matthews and Kyle Korver, both veterans who are known for their ability to knock down the 3-ball, have underwhelmed thus far. The duo has combined to average 13.7 points per game, 1.9 below what Brogdon provided a season ago.

Neither player offers the ball-handling, facilitating, shot creation or defense Brogdon brought to the table, either. Matthews is averaging 1.1 assists per game, while Korver’s average is at a minuscule 0.1 per contest. At 33 and 38 years old, respectively, neither Matthews nor Korver is able to defend at anywhere near the level Brogdon could.

Youngsters Sterling Brown and Donte DiVincenzo have shown flashes this year but overall, they’re nothing more than complementary and developmental pieces at this point. Milwaukee needs something more than that if it’s going to compete for and/or win a championship. While a 12-3 record looks terrific, it represents a patch over a potentially serious problem down the line.

That’s where Bogdan Bogdanovic comes in. The third-year Kings guard is similar to Brogdon in a few facets. First and foremost, he can knock down 3s at an alarming rate (in a good way). A career 38.2 percent shooter from deep, Bogdanovic is canning triples at a scorching 43.8 percent clip in 2019-20.

Not only would adding him present Milwaukee with another young gunner, but one that is proficient.

Additionally, the 27-year-old has shown an increased ability to handle the ball. Averaging 4.8 assists per game in 27.7 minutes a night, that’s higher than any per-game total Brogdon had as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

On top of that, he has yet to become a full-time starter. In Milwaukee, Bogdanovic could thrive in coach Mike Budenholzer’s system as a tertiary (or quaternary, once Khris Middleton comes back) facilitator and sharpshooter.

Bogdanovic will be a restricted free agent following this season. The Bucks have a few pieces at their disposal if they’d be inclined to get a deal done. This isn’t on anyone’s radar, but the aforementioned Tjarks article on The Ringer first discussed a deal surrounding Bogdanovic.

Acquiring Bogdanovic makes a ton of sense for a Milwaukee team desperate for some 3-point shooting and reliable, starting-quality youth at the shooting guard position.

In terms of potential compensation that would need to be involved to get a deal done, reigning Executive of the Year Jon Horst has some options. Firstly, he could include one of Brown/DiVincenzo in a swap for Bogdanovic.

He’d also likely have to throw in a draft pick or two. Perhaps one of the aforementioned young guards, plus a future first-round pick could get hypothetical talks moving in the right direction.

At the end of the day, there is no replacing Malcolm Brogdon. He’s extremely efficient and is one of the unique players in the NBA. What the Milwaukee Bucks can do, though, is make their best effort to turn a fringe championship contender into a bona fide powerhouse. Adding Bogdan Bogdanovic would go a long way towards making that dream a reality.