Grading all of the Atlanta Hawks moves this offseason
Bogdan Bogdanovic: 4 years, $72 million
Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s name dominated the headlines as free agency approached, rumored to be packing his bags and heading to Milwaukee in a sign-and-trade that obviously never came to fruition.
Bogdanovic would eventually sign a four-year, $72 million offer sheet with the Atlanta Hawks, one that the Sacramento Kings would elect not to match. A rumored target for the organization for much of the offseason, the Atlanta Hawks got their guy.
A bench player for most of his young NBA career, midway through last season, Bogdanovic was promoted to a full-time starter role for the Kings. Once he received a more prominent and defined role in the Kings’ rotation, we saw an uptick in his production and efficiency.
His scoring improved from 14.5 to 15.9 points per game, and he scored at least 20 points 10 times in 28 games as a starter compared to only eclipsing 20 points 7 times in 33 games off the bench.
His field goal and free throw percentages are where we saw Bogdanovic’s biggest improvements as the season went on, increasing from 42.6 to 45.6 percent and 65.6 to 83.6 percent, respectively.
In an offense where the point guard usually dominates the ball and creates for everyone, he can be a complementary piece, shooting 40.7 percent on catch-and-shoot threes on five attempts per game last season. Bogdanovic can easily play on or off the ball, creating his own shot with ease. Last season he shot 51.6 percent on pull-up jumpers and 61.2 percent in the restricted area.
Known for his innate ability to score in bunches, he’s an underrated passer averaging 4.5 assists per 36 minutes across three seasons with the Kings.
He never averaged more than 29 minutes per game, and he’s never been to the postseason, so mileage and wear-and-tear shouldn’t be an issue. He’s not as young as you would expect for a restricted free agent, but at 26 years old, Bogdanovic is still relatively young and just now entering his physical prime.
This may prove to be Schlenk’s best move of the offseason. Bogdanovic’s presence should make the defense more palatable and the team more competitive.