Bogdanovic to Wizards means category value cemented, points league value erased
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Here are the fantasy implications following the news that the Washington Wizards have agreed to a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, primarily built around SF/PF Bojan Bogdanovic:
Nets are sending Bogdanovic and Chris McCullough to the Wizards for Andrew Nicholson and a 2017 first-round pick, sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 22, 2017
Sources: Washington's Marcus Thornton joins Nicholson in the trade package to Brooklyn.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 22, 2017
The move brings in a veteran to shore up Wizards' notably thin bench unit. Bogdanovic has been one of the better streaming options this season, averaging 14.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 made 3-pointers in 27 minutes per game. Still, it can't be denied that Bogdanovic's role will shrink overall.
The two players leaving Washington in the transaction are guard Marcus Thornton (17.4 MPG in 33 games) and deep-bench forward Andrew Nicholson, (8.3 MPG in 28 games). Given that both had more or less fallen out of the rotation, something has to give in terms of the distribution of minutes in the Wizards' current rotation.
Bogdanovic's playing time is unlikely to come at the expense of the players who have putting up career numbers to get the Wizards into the thick playoff contention. Barring injury, there's little chance that he usurps Otto Porter or Markieff Morris in the starting lineup. He'll continue to be a source of outside shooting in category leagues and there's a slight possibility that he could emerge as a leader of bench-heavy units.
As a baseline, look for Bogdanovic to settle into 18-to-24 minutes on a given night, with enough shot opportunities to get to close to 10 points with regularity, with minor production in rebounding, assists and the defensive categories.
That doesn't inspire awe, but if Bogdanovic can get to 2.5 made 3-pointers per outing -- not out of the question, considering the rags-to-riches upgrade from the Nets' point guard situation to John Wall -- his value as a specialist in category leagues will be cemented. Don't bother considering him in points formats, however.
Value Bogdanovic as a top-130 player rest of season. Nicholson could get some run for a Brooklyn squad with nothing to lose (except more games) at this point, but it's unlikely that he'll finally find a situation willing to trot him out for 20-to-30 minutes a night at this point in his career. Thornton and C Chris McCullough are there to just balance the books; neither is a fantasy option.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)