Grade the Trade: 76ers use cap space to steal lethal wing scorer

Why Bogdanovic could be the best sixth man possible for Philadelphia

Bogdan Bogdanovic is admittedly a starter-level talent, but there’s a good reason why he’s primarily been a bench operator since his sophomore season. He’s a pretty lethal scorer, even in spurts, and his volume three-point shooting is nothing to scoff at. That’s not even to mention his ability to create plays for others as a drive-and-kick initiator or a pick-and-roll ball handler.

The Serbian wing is still owed an average of $16.5 million over the next three seasons, but that’s actually a perfectly priced rate for his production. In fact, the 76ers have so pressing of a need for a reliable backup that they would probably be amenable to trading for him even if he cost a bit more than his current pay.

Kelly Oubre Jr. (prior to being reassigned to the opening group) and Buddy Hield were Philly’s main gunners off the bench, yet both are unlikely to remain with the team. That makes Bogdanovic such an intriguing trade target for the 76ers, as he’s more consistent than those two, and offers a more well-rounded skill set that is not prone to flaming out.

Even better, Bogdanovic could start when needed as Tyrese Maxey’s nominal running mate. He could take on some of the playmaking reigns to free the All-Star up for more scoring, and his perimeter presence alone would be huge for a team that wasn’t one of the most frequent hoisters from three-point range this season.